


Fire, Blood, and Valyrian Steel (A Maegor Targaryen SI)

by BlackDragon98



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Dragonriders, Dragons, Essos, F/M, Falling In Love, House Targaryen, Loss of Virginity, Lys (ASoIaF), Magic, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Sex, The Ironborn (ASoIaF), War, hard choices, just trying to live man, love and marriage (eventually), no gunpowder, no printing press, realistic uplift, self insert fanfiction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-10-27
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:47:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 10
Words: 30,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24862549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackDragon98/pseuds/BlackDragon98
Summary: In a world where the Valyrian deities are losing the fight against their foes, a young man is chosen to take over the body of Maegor Targaryen, son of Aegon and Visenya Targaryen. Follow him as he navigates his way through Westeros and Essos in the uncertain era following Aegon's Conquest. Watch as he battles foes left and right, finding his path in a dangerous world. Will he succeed in his destiny and become the legend he was always meant to be or will his enemies triumph against him and destroy the last of the dragonlords?
Relationships: Aegon I Targaryen/Rhaenys Targaryen (Sister of Aegon I) mentioned, Aegon I Targaryen/Visenya Targaryen, Aenys I Targaryen/Alyssa Velaryon, Maegor I Targaryen/Original Character(s)
Comments: 53
Kudos: 122
Collections: Foreknowledge





	1. A Second Chance

**Author's Note:**

> Internal monologue in the SI's head is in italics.  
> Single words in italics are used for emphasis.  
> FYI: ASOIAF and the whole gig belongs to GRRM, just writing some SI fanfic here.

**The Ethereal Plane  
48AC **  
  
"Sister, it seems that our champion has screwed up for the very last time."  
  
"Screwed up brother? Are you japing or something, because 'screwed up' is probably a colossal understatement here.  
  
"Brother, I have to agree with our sister here. Maegor has truly failed us for the last time. He has gone down a dark path, though much can be attributed to his revival by that slimy Pentoshi whore, Tyanna."  
  
"Didn't you try to warn Visenya thatTyanna was dangerous?"  
  
"I did brother, but by then it was too late. Tyanna had already slipped the sweetsleep into Visenya's drink."  
  
"WHAT?!?! She killed Visenya?!?!"  
  
"Yes brother, and because of that I must applaud Maegor for his cruelty towards her, though I would much preferred if he made her suffer a bit longer. That whore did not deserve such a quick death for what she did to poor Visenya. Alas, the cruelty of fate, married to a brother that never loved her, when she could have been Empress of New Valyria."  
  
"Oh shit, I think you all might want to take a look at this. He's appointing that fucking septon as his hand. Gimme a sec here... Yeah, there goes 15% of our power reserves. Lost and gone forever."  
  
"Fucking shit. Now what the fuck do we do? Our champion is dead and our powers wane. We put so much of our power into him, kept him safe from harm for so many years, and now..."  
  
"Do not fear, brother. And you sister, do not despair. I believe we have just enough power for one last gamble."  
  
"Please don't tell me your thinking of doing THAT to Maegor, sister. That would drain the last of our powers. Literally. We would not even have a drop left to protect ourselves from the multi-faced bastard or that abominable snowman."  
  
"I am highly aware of this, brother, and of the fact that we have very little power left. Which is why I chose the best candidate for the job."  
  
"Are you serious sis? Who's to say that this soft mortal will survive for more than a day in Westeros? If only we had prevented the Doom and killed that multi-faced motherfucker in his fucking cradle! FUCK! Now we have to rely on a fucking man-child from a different world to save our sorry hides. Oh how the great and mighty have fallen!"  
  
"Calm yourself brother, I've observed this man for some time. First, he is a grown man of nine and ten. That is not what one would consider a man-"  
  
"Don't you think I know that sis? He's still too young though. We need a experienced veteran for the job, not a green, half-trained boy."  
  
"Now, as I was saying before I was rudely interrupted, _brother_. This mortal is different from the rest. He has a indomitable will, a sharp mind, a reasonably strong body and has proven to be a capable warrior and commander, before his untimely demise in that final training exercise. He also knows enough about our world and of Maegor's failings. I trust that he will triumph against all odds."  
  
"Are you so sure sis? The kid didn't even survive a fall. Who's to say he'll survive years of harsh training and combat against the zealots of our deadliest foes?"  
  
"That was sabotage, sister. I was there when it happened. We can show him what happened to his old body later, if he ever loses his resolve. Otherwise, I think he is our best and only chance to survive. What says you all, brothers and sisters?"  
  
There were murmurs of assent throughout the assembled but no clear voices of support.  
  
"Let us put this to a vote, my fellow brothers and sister, for this seems the only solution we have to our problems. All in favor raise you hand."  
  
Surprisingly, the result of the vote was unanimous. All in favor of the ritual.  
  
"Alright brother, its seems our siblings have spoken. Let's not keep our new champion waiting then, for the longer we wait, the hard it will be to summon his shade from the underworld of his realm."  
  
"Very well sister. We will do as you say. Let us begin the ritual."  
  
************************************************************************************************************  
  
**Dragonstone Castle, Dragonstone  
20 AC**  
  
The last thing I remember seeing was the ceiling of my hospital room, right before everything faded to black. A thousand foreign memories flew into my mind. I saw dozens of people who I should have recognized, a volcanic island fortress that felt like home, and a man fighting me with some sort of sword before it all went black once again.  
  
I slowly awoke to voices calling a strange name. My head was still fuzzy and I couldn't hear them clearly. Gradually, the fuzziness faded and I opened my eyes slowly.  
The first thing I saw was a strange robed dude with greying hair and jangling chains leaning over my bed, with a dozen servants in attendance.  
  
"Prince Maegor, are you alright?"  
  
  
"Wha..Wha...What happened? Wh...Whe...Where am I?"  
  
  
"My Prince, you are in your chambers right now. You collapsed right after a training bout with Ser Gawen."  
  
  
"Di...Did I take a hit to the head? And who is Ser Gawen?"  
  
  
"No, my Prince, you did not and that its what _vexes_ me. You were perfectly fine after the bout yet you collapsed mere moments as you walked to put away your wooden training sword. Thank the Gods that Ser Gawen Corbray caught you before your head hit the ground. He's the master-at-arms of Dragonstone, the man who's been teaching you swordsmanship for past three moons. Do you not remember him?"  
  
  
"I...I...I do. It's just that the memories are a little fuzzy. Remind me to thank him for catching me Mister..."  
  
  
" _Maester_ Orland, my Prince." The robed man articulated the word Maester, as if it gave him some special pride to refer to himself as one.  
  
  
"Yes, as I was saying, remind me to thank him for catching me Maester Orland. Just before you all leave, I have a request to make of you all."  
  
  
"My ears are all yours, my Prince. I'm sure the servants are listening as well." The dozen servants in attendance bowed their heads briefly in a serious fashion.  
  
  
" **Everyone** here must swear to keep this incident a secret and let no one know, especially my mother and father. Do I have your word?"  
I emphasized the word "everyone". No one could know what happened, especially not whoever was King and Queen.  
  
  
"Of course my Prince." pronounced Maester Orland. "The servants here can be trusted as well, my Prince. They live to serve House Targaryen."  
The servants nodded as I scanned their faces.  
_Well, at least one problem's been solved. Now, it's time to figure out who I am._  
  
  
"Good. Now if you don't mind, can I please have some time alone to recover." Maester Orland and the servants bowed before leaving me alone in my room.  
  
  
I looked around at my surroundings, which was a room in a building made of stone. It was richly decorated, with brilliant tapestries on the wall and vibrant rugs covering the hard stone floor. My bed was in the lower right corner of the room, which was very large compared to any bedroom I had ever seen before. There was a large door at the top right corner of the room, which was perpendicular to my bed and a large window on my left. A wooden desk and chair was placed right in front of the window and there was a large rectangular chest-of-drawers at the far end of the room with a small strongbox atop the dresser. To the left of the dresser was large closet and to it's right was large locked chest; the kind used for traveling.  
  
I got up from my bed, which was bigger and more amply decorated than I thought and looked for my boots. They were on the left side of my bed and I quickly put them on to look for clues as to who I am now. My brain began to make sense of my surroundings and situation.  
_A maester. That means I'm in Westeros. And he called me Prince Maegor, which means there's a 50% chance I'm Maegor the Cruel. **Great.** Now I just have to confirm which Maegor I am. _  
I walked over to my desk and looked over the papers strewn about its solid wooden surface.  
A letter, recently opened by the looks of it, caught my eye and I grabbed it to take a closer look. It was addressed to Prince Maegor of House Targaryen and the year was 20 AC.  
  
"Oh shit. Oh fucking shit." I slumped into the chair and slouched, feeling utterly overwhelmed.  
  
I was Maegor Targaryen, also known as Maegor the Cruel. The soon-to-be butcher of thousands of innocent people, a soon-to-be kinslayer, and definitely one of the worst Targaryen Kings to ever sit on the Iron Throne. Not to mention the asshole who married 5 young women against their will but couldn't even have one living heir. (1)  
  
I put the letter back on the desk and sighed. Rage was bubbling in my guts and it was mixed with a sense of dread, with a twing of fear at what I about to become.  
  
"Damn fucking fate. I had to drop out of officer training because of a stupid injury and now I get inserted into the body of a bloodthirsty and quite possibly insane Targaryen King in Westeros. Who is also the asshole that commits suicide because everyone deserts his cause in the end. Just my **wonderfully** fucked up luck." (2)  
  
I was ready to start screaming in frustration when a thought popped into my head.  
_This is 20 AC. If I remember correctly, Maegor was born in 12 AC. That means Maegor is now 8 years old. And that also means none of the mad shit he did has happened yet. And I'm in possession of Maegor's body. Oh yeah I almost forgot, House Targaryen still has dragons. Lots of dragons._  
  
The realization dawned upon me, like a bolt out of the blue.  
The fate of Westeros and House Targaryen was right there, within my grasp.  
My sullen face quickly brightened up and a large smile crossed my face.  
  
I got up and walked over to my nightstand to pour myself a glass-no, a goblet, of cool water.  
_Nice and refreshing. Just the way I like it._  
The day was still young and there was much to do.  
First things first though, time to go find Ser Gawen Corbray and thank him for catching me before my head hit the ground, which would have be seriously painful, if the stone floor of my room was any indicator.  
_One thing at a time Maegor, and you may just become the best Targaryen that's every walked the halls of Dragonstone._  
  
***********************************************************************************************************************************

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Tyanna doesn't count because she wanted to marry Maegor.  
> 2\. More about who the SI was will be gradually revealed. No spoilers.
> 
> Here it goes.  
> Hope you like this chapter.  
> -Black Dragon


	2. Daggers and Dreams

**Dragonstone Castle, Dragonstone Island  
20 AC  
The Tenth day of the Sixth Moon **  
  
After figuring out my identity, I decided to take a look at what was inside the smaller strongbox. I tried to use Maegor's memories to remember what was inside, but they were fuzzy and I couldn't really interpret anything from them. I walked over to the chest-of-drawers and picked up the small strongbox. It was decorated with various dragon motifs and solidly built, out of some unknown hardwood and steel. There was a lock on the front of the strongbox.  
  
 _Hmmm... let's see if Maegor's memories are of any use._  
  
I concentrated for a few moments and then it clicked. Walking over to my nightstand, I pulled open the uppermost drawer. Lo and behold, there it was. A ring with 3 keys, a big one and 2 smaller ones.  
  
 _Three keys? That's not right, I only have two strongboxes. The big one and this little one._  
  
In my confusion, I looked around and saw a large closet I had missed earlier when I scanned my room. It was on the right side of my bed, beside the fireplace that separated it and the door. The closet was made of a dark colored wood, which was probably the reason why I hadn't noticed it earlier.  
  
 _You idiot, you can't find a large closet in your own room. Some Warrior Prince you suppose to be._  
  
Sighing in frustration, I walked over and opened the closet. Inside was a lot of clothes, most of it in red and black. At the top was a small square niche presently occupied by another small strongbox, roughly the size of the other one.  
  
"Ah ha, that must be the third box."  
  
I pulled the box down and took it to my chest of drawers, putting it beside the other. Using the two smaller keys on the keyring, I opened both lockboxes. There were some papers inside the first one, a silver ring bearing the three headed dragon symbol of House Targaryen, and some coinage. I examined the coinage more closely. It seemed there were about a dozen gold dragons, twice the number silver stags, and five copper stars.  
  
"Not bad, a nice bit of spending money." I said aloud.  
  
The second lockbox that was stored in the closet yielded some more coinage, mostly stags and stars, and a small silver mirror, though it's biggest prize was a dagger inside it's leather sheath. It was of a rather simple design, and greatly resembled a Fairbairn–Sykes fighting knife. A single ruby was inlaid in the pommel, visible from both sides and hilt seemed to made of some sort of bone, though it was black as midnight. I took it out of the small strongbox and pulled it out of it's scabbard. The dagger was lighter than expected, though the blade was what startled me. It had the dark, smoky ripples that identified it as Valyrian steel.  
  
 _Holy shit. How the fuck did Maegor get this?_  
  
Concentrating briefly, I searched through Maegor's memories. A memory of a woman with long braids the color of white gold giving the dagger to Maegor appeared in my mind, which quickly morphed into another, where Maegor embraced the woman in a tight hug after receiving the gift. (1)  
  
 _So this is how Maegor got the dagger. A gift from his mother, Queen Visenya Targaryen. Or should I say, "my" mother now._  
  
Memories of my own mother appeared, though for some strange reason, they were faded and distant. It was as if some of Maegor's memories had supplanted my own. My mind was still trying to process everything when I suddenly realized why I recognized the dagger. And my blood grew cold at the thought of it. This was the Valyrian steel dagger that belonged to Littlefinger and Joffery. This was the dagger that was used in the attempt to kill Bran. And here it is now, in my hand, the dagger of destiny. (2)  
  
 _Might as well keep it. A dagger of Valyrian steel is better than no Valyrian steel at all. Maybe I should keep this on me at all times. This damn world is dangerous enough without considering that I'm a Targaryen Prince._  
  
I put the dagger back in it's sheath and picked up the mirror. The sight that greeted me was slightly disorienting, as I had been used to seeing the old me, not the boy that stood before the mirror. A handsome, rugged face with an elegant jawline, short silver-gold hair, and dark purple eyes, but utterly void of any emotion. The face of a conqueror; a soldier. I smile and looked at my face again. A bit better than before, but I still looked far too intimidating, even at such a young age. I thought hard for a few minutes about how I was going to plan out the rest of my day with doing anything stupid.  
  
 _Ok, Visenya and Aegon are probably in King's Landing right now. And I've kept knowledge of the "switch" mostly contained. Let's see what else I need to plan out in order to not die within the next couple weeks._  
  
I walked over to my desk, sat down, and grabbed a piece of empty parchment. Taking a quill, I began to write out a couple of things that had to be completed before the week's end. However, halfway through my writing, I hit a problem.  
  
 _How the heck do I get a dragon? OTL Maegor waited until his dad died and Balerion was available, but that's him and not me. I wonder if there are any nests around the Dragonmont. If my memory serves me right, the Dragonmont was the Targaryen's main dragon hatchery before Maegor built the stupid Dragonpit, which contributed to the decline of Targaryen dragons. Note to self: Do not build the Dragonpit.I repeat: Do not build the Dragonpit._  
  
I put my quill down and pondered the question at length. Suddenly, an idea came to me. If I could somehow hatch a dragon egg and raise the hatchling, then I would bond with the dragon from it's birth and it would be probably easier to tame. Just like having a puppy, except the hatchling would one day grow up into a massive fire-breathing death lizard. I scribbled something down and made a mental note to visit the library tomorrow for any information on Valyria and dragons.  
  
Taking a small piece of string from a drawer in my desk, I rolled up the piece of parchment, tying and placing it in the second strongbox. Afterwards, I locked it and shoved it up in my closet where I had found it, though not before I took out the Valyrian steel dagger and stuffed it in my boot. Then, I locked the smaller strongbox and cleaned up my desk of the various parchments that littered it's surfaces, organizing them in neat piles and placing my quills and inkwell in a orderly fashion. I walked over to my closet and put on a black and red cloak over top my doublet. The sun was already starting to go down, which meant that the "incident" had happened right before lunch and I had missed it as a result. My stomach growled with hunger.  
  
 _Better go find Ser Gawen now, and then get some stuff to eat._  
  
I walked out of my room and closed the door, making a mental note of where my room was located. After concentrating for a few seconds, I began walking down a long corridor and a set of winding stairs which Maegor's memories had shown me. A final arch and the courtyard lay before me. There were still around a dozen men still sparring despite the fact that the sun had already started setting. I spotted Ser Gawen, a thin yet muscular man with shoulder length brown hair. He was putting away his practice blade as I strode over to sword rack.  
  
"Ser Gawen."  
  
"Ah, Prince Maegor. How's the head?"  
  
"Fine Ser Gawen, though it would have been very unpleasant if it had hit the ground. For that, I must thank you."  
  
"It is merely my duty, Prince Maegor. Will you be able to resume your training tomorrow?"  
  
"Of course, Ser. When will we begin training?"  
  
"Same as usual, at first light. We'll be working on footwork tomorrow."  
  
"Wonderful. I suppose I'll see you then, Ser Gawen."  
  
"As always, Prince Maegor."  
  
I nodded and watched as Ser Gawen and the men-at-arms walked off to the dining hall for dinner. It was at that moment that my stomach growled. I decided to go to the kitchens and have a servant bring my supper up to my chambers. I wasn't in the mood for socializing, there were just too many things I had to comprehend alone. I concentrated briefly to remember the path to the kitchens. A serving girl was just returning from the dining hall when she saw me and curtsied. Maegor's memories identified her as Violet, one of the local smallfolk that had served and would continue to serve House Targaryen for generations.  
  
"Are you looking for something,my Prince?"  
  
"Yes actually. Do you know what's being served for supper?"  
  
"No my Prince, but I could ask the cooks."  
  
"Do that, I'll be waiting right here, Violet."  
  
She hurried into the kitchens while I twiddled my thumbs and I waited, wishing I had a phone or something to pass the time. I looked around at the corridor. It was made of dragonstone; stone treated with dragonfire, magic spells, and blood sacrifices, if the rumors were to be believed. Torches on the walls lighted up the area, though the light cast shadows that looked dark and ominous. The sound of Violet's voice drew me from my thoughts.  
  
"My Prince, the cooks made chestnut soup, bread, greens dressed with apples and pine nuts, and honeyed ham tonight. Would you like me to bring it up to your chambers?"  
  
"Yes. And bring a extra bit of that honeyed ham, along with some mead."  
  
"Of course, my Prince."  
  
I turned and walked back up to my room, leaving the door slightly ajar. The sky was darkening outside my window, the last dying rays of daylight vanishing behind the boundless sea that surrounded Dragonstone. Violet returned a few minutes later, carrying a large tray that carried my supper. I nodded my thanks and she curtsied, closing the door on the way out. I picked up the fork and knife that came with the tray and ate. The food was delicious but my mind was elsewhere, thinking of dragons, magic, and how the heck I was supposed to avoid the shitty destiny that fate had assigned for the body that I now inhabited.  
  
After I finished my meal, I rinsed out my mouth, put on my night clothes and went to bed. That night, I dreamed of dragonriders and sorcerer princes, of golden knights and fair maidens. Little did I know that these were not just dreams, but the shape of things to come.  
  
*********************************************************************************************************************************

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. I've always consider Maegor to be something of a mother's boy, as Visenya was the only person who truly loved him and always gave him her unconditional support.  
> 2\. I thought it would be fitting that the dagger originally belonged to House Targaryen. There's only so much Valyrian steel out there, so I thought it to be logical that much of it was concentrated in the hands of House Targaryen, who brought a bunch of it to Dragonstone when they fled the Doom.
> 
> Hope you all like this chapter.  
> Comments and questions are always welcome!  
> -Black Dragon


	3. Dragonlore and Decisions

**A long corridor in Dragonstone Castle, Dragonstone Island  
20 AC  
The Twenty-fifth day of the Sixth Moon **  
  
It had been 15 days since the switch and I had more or less begun to accept my new life as Prince Maegor of House Targaryen. I mean, there was almost nothing to complain about. My martial training was proceeding quickly, partially because of Maegor's memories and natural powerful physique but mostly because the hand-to-hand combat training I received during my military training.  
  
"Think of your blade as an extension of your hand," my combat instructor had told me in my first knife fighting session back in my old life. "Let it flow with your slashes and stabs."  
And that was exactly what I did with my practice blades.  
  
Even Ser Gawen was slightly surprised at how fast I progressed in my swordsmanship. My preference for fighting without a shield raised some eyebrows in the training yard. Ser Gawen had me quickly switch to wielding a 4 foot bastard sword instead of a longsword, to see if I was better suited to a longer, heavier blade. I preferred gripping the hilt with both hands, my right above my left, increasing the power of my slashes and thrusts. Also, I remembered how the original Maegor had taken severe head injury that almost killed him during his Trial of Seven, and had no intention of experiencing the same fate. My experience as a high school quarterback in my former life taught me quite a few techniques in dodging, most of them learned the hard way. After a couple dozen training bouts I quickly gained a reputation as a vicious, relentless fighter who was swift yet powerful, each of my blows crushing my opponents, leaving them reeling. I was also not adverse to using kicks and punches to gain an advantage against my opponents, many of whom saw me as a dirty fighter but respected my prowess. In light of my advantages in strength and size, Ser Gawen began training me to use a variety of blunt force weapnos such as warhammers, maces, flails, or battleaxes. It was with the mace that I achieved the greatest success, wielding it together with a large shield. I often used the edge of the shield as a weapon, which was followed up with a blow from my practice mace.  
  
Hand-to-hand combat and wrestling was also part of training regime, and as expected, I excelled in these two aspects of combat as well. I never struck first at my opponent when fighting, something that others saw as odd, but none could argue with the results. Allowing my opponent to strike first in single combat gave me a chance to spot their weaknesses and avoid their strengths, regardless of whether it was a fistfight or swordfight. None of the boys my own age could compete with me and Ser Gawen soon had me fighting boys 2 or 3 years older than me. Nevertheless, I was still able to own against them, though it was more evenly matched and I could no longer win every bout.  
  
Still, Ser Gawen was rather impressed with me.  
In his own words and I quote him:  
"You are truly a credit your Valyrian ancestors, my Prince. If you keep up this level of training and dedication till you become a man grown, I could see you fighting a half dozen Warrior's Sons and slaying them all with ease."  
Little did he know that one day I would do exactly as he said and still be able to walk away alive and in one piece.  
  
If Ser Gawen could be considered surprised, then Maester Orland was completely flabbergasted at my sudden progress in my studies. From his extreme shock and surprise, I surmised that the original Maegor was terrible at his studies. In his defense though, he didn't have all the prior knowledge about algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and other mathematics that I did. The histories and geography that Maester Orland had me study were pretty easy as well, especially because I had the opportunity to read my friend's copy of "A World of Ice and Fire" before I was sent here.  
The only advantage I gained from Maegor's memories was his knowledge of High Valyrian. Apparently Visenya had seen to teach him High Valyrian herself and his fluency in the language reflected it. After finished my physical training and cleaning myself up, I headed to Dragonstone's library. It's size was utterly shocking to me, as my own personal library in my old life was but a small bookshelf with a few dozen selected titles. The library on Dragonstone was located on the level below the Chamber of the Painted Table. The Stone Drum which both rooms were located in was a truly daunting piece of architecture, constructed completely out of the same coal-black dragonstone that made up the rest of the fortress.  
The rest of [Dragonstone](https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Dragonstone) was just as the books had described it and then some more. Dragon statues poked out of every edge, accompanied by a host of monstrous creatures such as basilisks, cockatrices, demons, griffins, hellhounds, manticores, minotaurs, wyverns, and others that I had yet to identify. The library itself was decorated with a number of these gnarly creatures, who looked down from above the numerous dragonclaw shaped torch holders that lit up the large room with a dark glow. There were over 2 dozen shelves made of black hardwood arranged in 2 rows of a dozen shelves each. I sighed. It was going to take quite a while to find the information about dragons I was looking for, especially given the sheer number of titles to look through. Fortunately, the numerous books and scrolls that filled the shelves were organized alphabetically, including the 3 shelves that housed all the books and scrolls written in High Valyrian. I got up on the sliding ladder and looked for anything that mentioned dragons.  
  
Half an hour later, I had collected a half dozen books and a dozen scrolls which included the word "Zaldrīzes" in it's title.(1) I unrolled the first scroll and started reading. Five minutes into what was possibly the most exciting thing I had ever read, a servant interrupted my  
  
"My Prince, there's a problem. Two men are demanding that you settle a dispute between them."  
  
"Can't someone else do that? I'm sort of busy right now."  
  
"No my Prince, they specifically asked for the Prince of Dragonstone, Maegor of House Targaryen to settle this dispute."  
  
I did a face palm and groaned. _The pain of leadership, I thought._  
  
"Alright, tell them that I'll be there in a few minutes and then come right back here once you've told them. Bring a knapsack as well."  
  
"Yes, my Prince." The servant disappeared without another word and I was left alone with my half dozen books and dozen scrolls. I gathered the books in a big stack and piled the scrolls together.  
  
The servant returned after a couple minutes, with a knapsack as I had ordered.  
  
"Open the knapsack and help me get these scrolls inside."  
  
"Yes, my Prince." The servant did as he was told and held the knapsack open, allowing me to carefully deposit the dozen scrolls inside the leather sack.  
  
"Take the knapsack to my chambers. I'll be there in minute." The servant bowed his head and I grabbed the six books and carried them up to my chambers.  
  
A long corridor and a couple turnpike staircases later, we arrived at my chambers. I unloaded the scrolls and books before double checking they were the right ones. Then, I locked the door to my room and headed to the throne room to settle this dispute.  
  
Tempers were flaring up on both sides just as I entered the room.  
  
"You took her maidenhead, you fucking rapist!"  
  
"She laid with me willingly. You're the one who wants to marry her off to some rich merchant for your own personal gain."  
  
"Rapist!"  
  
"Asshole!"  
  
I sat down on the throne and proceeded to watch the spectacle for a few moments before both sides quieted down, realizing that they were in the presence of a Targaryen prince. My servant did the announcing for me. Inwardly, I was thankful that I didn't have the long slew of titles that Daenerys did, beccause I didn't give a rat's ass about titles.  
  
 _A king who needs a shit load of titles to prove he is king is no true king at all. Too bad Tywin isn't born yet. I'd love to have a philosophical conversation with him about kingship and all that. Maybe ask him what he felt as he exterminated House Reyne and Tarbeck._  
  
"You stand in the presence of Maegor of House Targaryen, Prince of Dragonstone."  
  
Both men bow deeply and I felt majestic, like I was on top of world. The dragonstone throne I sat upon gave me an aura of power, with just a hint of magic. I looked both men in the eye before proceeding.  
  
"Who is the accuser and what are the accusations?" I asked with a booming voice.  
  
The man on my left, a small, thin twenty year old man with a sallow complexion identified himself as the accuser and proceeded to rant about the accused raping his younger sister, a young girl of 15 namedays. The accused, a strong tanned man in his early twenty who was a man-at-arms sworn to House Targaryen, countered by saying that he was in love with the girl and that she had laid with him willingly. Both sides continued to argue before I spoke up again.  
  
"Do either of you know where the girl in question is right now? I would like to speak with her privately and get her side of the story."  
  
Surprisingly, the servant spoke up first. "My Prince, the girl in question is currently waiting outside the throne room."  
  
After 20 minutes of talking alone in a separate room with the girl, whose name was Jeyne, I had learned that she was truly in love with the man-at-arms, Richard Bean, but her brother was in debt and sought to marry her off to a rich merchant who was willing to pay off his debts in exchange.(2) She told me that her brother Ethan owed 6 gold dragons to another man after losing a bet, which Richard would have gladly paid if he had the money. But he didn't and in a moment of weakness she chose to lay with him. The name Richard Bean sounded familiar to me, so I decided to ask Jeyne some questions about her betrothed.  
  
"Does Richard have a nickname of any sort?"  
  
"Yes, m'lord. His friends typically call him Dick."  
  
"And he's been swore to House Targaryen since he was boy?"  
  
"Ho-How did you know this, m'lord?"  
  
"Just a lucky guess, nothing more. You may go now."  
  
The girl curtsied and left me alone to ponder the problem. The fact that the accused was Dick Bean, the humble man-at-arms who stood and died for OG Maegor when no others did had significant effect on my decision. To me, it seemed like a case of Daenerys and Viserys and I quickly made up my regarding my decision.  
  
I reentered the throne room with a half dozen guards in attendance. After seating myself on the throne and making myself comfortable, I passed judgement on the dispute.  
  
"After due consideration, I have decided that the accused, Richard Bean is innocent of all charges. If the accused have any other grievances, present them now or forever hold your peace. In addition, Richard and Jeyne are to remain here. I wish to speak with them."  
  
The silence in the throne room was deafening. The accuser, Ethan, stood there with his mouth wide open, shocked at the outcome. With a defeated sigh, he bowed and left the room, followed by 2 guards.  
  
"Richard Bean, step forward, kneel, and extend your left hand."  
  
The man obeyed and knelt below the throne, extending his left hand with an open palm. I got up, fished a gold dragon out of my purse and pressed it in Richard's open palm before closing his hand.  
  
"May you and your betrothed find love and happiness in your marriage. Also, pick out a few men that you trust with your life Richard, I want you to bring them here tomorrow, before noon. Remember this, and don't be late." (3)  
  
Richard got up, looking surprised at the gold dragon in his palm and shocked at the implications of my orders. I walked back and sat down on the throne, dismissing the couple with a simple gesture of my left hand. Jeyne curtsied and Richard knelt once more.  
  
"I humbly thank you for your generosity m'lord, and I swear on my honor that from this moment forth that I will obey every order without question, even if you order me to fight to the death."  
  
He rose again and bowed once more before he and Jeyne linked arms and walked out of the throne room. I smiled to them as they rose before dismissing the guards back to their normal duties and then walked out of the throne room.  
  
After leaving the throne room, I headed back to my chambers, pleased at my wise decision and for the fact that I had brought joy to a pair of lovers in this dark world. A half hour later, Violet came with a tray bearing my dinner. Today it was mutton chops sauced in honey and cloves, beef-and-barley stew, black bread, beans with squash and onions, and lemon cakes for dessert. I grinned in delight at my dinner before thanking her as always. One of the best things about this world was the host of delicious foods that I ate 3 times a day. The beans with squash and onions was one of my favorite vegetable dishes for some reason and I finished my meal quickly, savoring each bite. After a while, Violet reappeared to take away the tray and I unrolled the Valyrian scroll I was reading earlier. What I discovered was truly astounding and I was genuinely surprised at how the instructions for hatching a dragon egg were both well written and straight to the point. I read over the following passage twice and then copied out the incantation on a small piece of parchment that I rolled up and tied with twine before I place it on a corner of my desk.  
  
 _"Place the dragon egg in a fire. Using a blade cut into your palm until blood is drawn. Do the same with your other palm. Then place both palms on the egg and recite the following: **I am blood of the dragon and I claim you as my mount. Together we shall soar above the clouds and bathe our enemies in fire and blood. Hear me and let us join our minds together, from this day until our last day.** Once the words are spoken, a link is established between rider and mount. The link is unbreakable, impervious to both dragonhorns and other magics and it shall hold until the goddess of death claims either rider or mount." _  
  
I sat down and contemplated what I had just read before changing into my night clothes and getting ready for bed. Tomorrow I would hatch a dragon. Tomorrow I would become a true dragon prince, worthy of the Targaryen name, even if I wasn't born a Targaryen.  
  
 _And all enemies of House Targaryen shall learn to fear my wrath or face my dragon. Dragonlord mode, here I come._  
  
I fell into an exhausted sleep when my head hit the pillows. As my body rested, my mind dreamed of tomorrow's bright new dawn.  
  
*********************************************************************************************************************************

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Zaldrīzes is High Valyrian for dragon.  
> 2\. Richard Bean aka Dick Bean  
> 3\. The SI is gathering his personal guard squad. And so it begins.
> 
> Hope you all like this chapter.  
> Comments and questions are always welcome!  
> -Black Dragon


	4. Bloodfyre

**Off the coast of the Dragonmont, Dragonstone Island  
20 AC   
The Twenty-sixth day of the Sixth Moon **  
  
"Are ye sure you want to row all the way to shore, m'lord? The hull of mah skiff is pretty shallow and I'm sure that I could sail closer to shore if ye wanted."  
"It's fine. I prefer a bit of rowing to clear my mind after a morning of training. Oh, and here's the silvers stags I promised you, just in case I don't make it out alive." I handed the fisherman a small drawstring bag with 25 silver stags inside. "The cost of the rowboat is covered as well. After all, I can't row it back if I'm dead."  
  
"Muh Prince, I humbly thank ye for your generosity but are ye really sure 'bout this? I've only been here once and I haven't seen any dragons 'round this part of the 'Mont. It could just be a big empty cave." The fisherman wasn't really convinced that the beach cave on the far side of the Dragonmont was a dragon lair or hatchery. But the lair didn't call out to him the way it did to me. I could feel the power emaciating from the lair, waves of strange magical energy that made my blood tingle.  
  
"No harm in trying then, especially if it's empty." I replied, whilst furiously chewing a couple mint leaves I brought for the trip. My medieval toothbrush, a applewood chew stick, cleaned my teeth well, but I still liked chewing mint leaves.(1) They tasted like a stronger, organic version of the mints I consumed in my old life and I liked the taste. The fisherman's cousin and son were lowering the rowboat into the water while I spat overboard the mint leaves I was chewing and took a sip of mead out of my waterskin. My nerves were starting to fray, just a little bit.  
  
 _It's just a dragon. You're a Targaryen for fuck's sake. The blood that flows through you is dragon's blood, the blood of Valyrian dragonriders and sorcerer kings. Just follow the ritual and everything will be alright._  
  
The voice of the fisherman's son interrupted my internal prep talk. "Prince Maegor, the rowboat is ready."  
  
I nodded solemnly and clambered over the side of the fishing skiff into the rowboat. The fisherman passed me a couple oars, a torch, and my knapsack. I laid the knapsack horizontally on the bench in front of me and put the torch on either side. The fisherman's son called out to me as I thrust the oars in their locks and began rowing.  
  
"Good luck m'lord. Hope you return riding a dragon!"  
  
"Thanks! Just remember to come back in an hour!"  
  
The three smallfolk waved at me for a few more moments before unfurling the sails of the skiff and returning to their fishing grounds. Meanwhile, I kept rowing towards the small rocky beach until the hull of my rowboat scraped to a halt against sand and pebbles. I grabbed my knapsack and the torch before vaulting over the bow of the rowboat and onto the pebble beach. I gazed momentarily at the large cave opening that stood in front of me before pulling out the scroll of parchment containing the hatching instructions and lighting a torch.  
  
 _Well, here goes absolutely nothing. Go grand or go to hell. Literally._  
  
I swallowed nervously and walked into the cave, the sound of my boots crunching on the stony ground echoed through the passage. As I descended further into the cave, the tingling in my blood grew stronger, as did the temperature of the passage. The light of the torch reflected off the clumps of dragonglass that lay all over the passage. From this, I surmised that this cave must have been a volcanic vent at some point. Suddenly I began to see light ahead of me, but it wasn't from my torch. It was a small lava pool and right beside the lava pool were 3 dragon eggs. They were large eggs, even bigger than the elephant bird egg I had seen in a museum when was a kid. The tiny scales that covered the eggs shimmered in the darkness, reflecting the light given off by the glowing lava pool. The one on the left was bronze in color with cream splotches, the one in the center was black as midnight with bright scarlet stripes the color of fresh blood, while the one on the right was a deep shade of blue with white splotches.  
  
 _Holy fucking shit. This is it. The fucking jackpot._  
  
I took a deep breath and untied the scroll of parchment. Staring at the eggs for a moment, I wondered which one I was going to pick. Or more like which one was going to pick me. All three of them seemed to call to me, so I decided to try the heat test. I walked over the eggs, knelt, picked up the one on the left. The egg felt cold to the touch. I put it back on the ground and picked up the one on the right. It felt cold as well, so I put it down as well. That left the one in the center, the black one with bright scarlet stripes of varying shape and size. I grasped it with both hand and it's heat coursed through my hands, into my veins and throughout my body. I blinked and then I saw it, all of it.  
  
I saw my new self, Maegor, at the height of his power, wearing Aegon's Valyrian steel circlet, a full beard, and strange armor made of metal scales that bore the telltale ripples of Valyrian steel, while I wielded the Blackfyre, Aegon's Valyrian steel sword, in my right hand. I was riding a massive black dragon that had scarlet stripes all across it's body the color of freshly spilled blood, though they were especially prominent on it's wings, so much that they appeared to be soaked with the blood of the fallen. My vision self yelled out the dragon's name, Bloodfyre, and he rose into the air before soaring through the skies. A massive army marched below me, their banners bearing the Targaryen sigil, except it was a black dragon on a field of red. The army cheered and raised their spears in the air as I flew over them, before continuing their march down the black stone road.  
  
The vision shifted and suddenly I was sitting on the dragonstone throne in Dragonstone, with three teenagers standing by my side, two females and one male. They all bore a strong resemblance to me, Valyrian looks and all, so I assumed them to be my children. The oldest two, a son and a daughter, wore the same scaled armor made of Valyrian steel that I did, while the youngest girl wore black riding leathers. The oldest, a daughter, had Dark Sister in it's scabbard at her left hip, but her 2 younger siblings also wielded Valyrian steel swords. The son had a double bladed Valyrian steel battleaxe slung over his back, in addition to his Valyrian steel bastard sword in his right hand. The youngest, a daughter, had a Valyrian steel shortsword in her right hand but it was accompanied by a couple daggers hanging from her belt that I assumed to made of Valyrian steel as well.  
  
There were 10 men sitting on chairs below the throne, facing each other, a column of 5 on each side of the throne. I was not able to see their faces as the vision quickly shifted to the dozens of captives that were kneeling before the throne and in front of the seated men, bruised, dirty, and fettered in irons, guarded by half a hundred soldiers that held the chains. I was able to briefly observe their faces and I was shocked to see there were some with Valyrian looks among them. The rest were a mix of ethnicities, though I was able to identify some of them as Dornish from their dusky skin and black hair, and others as Tyroshi by their flamboyantly dyed hair.  
  
My oldest daughter in the vision spoke, her voice beautiful yet powerful at the same time. "What shall be their fate, father?"  
  
"The same fate that all traitors and enemies of House Targaryen deserve, of course." my vision self replied with a smile. "Fire and Blood."  
  
My vision began to zoom out and I could see Dragonstone, the whole island abuzz with people, the small port expanded, but the most shocking thing was the sheer number of dragons flying around the island. I could count at least 2 dozen, and many of them were of fighting size as well. Yet slowly, my vision started darkening, until it faded to black. I began to hear the beautiful voice of a young girl speaking and her words sounded sweeter than honey.  
  
 _I suppose this is either a daydream or a vision. I mean, who else would be speaking in High Valyrian to me in a cave with dragon eggs._  
  
"Child of Blood, Son of the Dragon, Last of Old Valyria. Heed what you have seen. Find the fallen dragon and release her from her prison, but beware the mummer's dragons that haunt your path. Heed our words, Child of Blood, and your line shall prosper, from now until the end of time itself... But ignore them, and this will be your fate and the fate of this world." (2)  
  
I saw an older version of Maegor dead on the Iron Throne, his blood slowly dripping down from his slit wrists. I saw a young girl alone with a huge black dragon in a dark wasteland of fire and ash. I saw dragons swooping and dancing with one another, till one fell from the sky, it's heart wrenching screeches growing ever fainter as it fell. I saw a knight in shining armor stabbing a king on the Iron Throne as he screamed "BURN THEM ALL!!!". I saw humanoid creatures made of ice with glowing blue eyes marching on King's Landing, an army of rotten corpses following them, the landscape white with snow and ice. And then the voice began again.  
  
"This is the fate of House Targaryen, Westeros, and all the world if you fail your task. Remember child, the fate of millions, born and unborn, rest in your hands. Choose wisely, dragon prince and may you save us all...or die trying."  
  
The voice gradually faded and I slowly opened my eyes again. I was kneeling in front of the dragon eggs, with the black and red one still in my hands. Shakily, I put the egg down, got up, took a swig of mead out of my waterskin and pull my Valyrian steel dagger out of it's sheath inside my right boot. I grabbed two pieces of dragonglass and put them on either side of the parchment, preventing it from rolling up again. Taking my dagger again, I cut into my left palm using my right hand until it drew blood, before doing the same to my right palm using my left hand. Taking a final breath, I placed both hands on the black and red dragon egg and began reciting the spell in High Valyrian, articulating each and every word.  
  
 **"I am blood of the dragon and I claim you as my mount. Together we shall soar above the clouds and bathe our enemies in fire and blood. Hear me and let us join our minds together, from this day until our last day."**  
  
I felt a searing pain in both my hands as the fresh blood on it began to boil. Clenching my teeth, I took the pain in silence as I shut my my eyes, waiting for the magic to happen. It was several moments before the pain subsided, right before I heard a cracking sound.  
  
My eyes shot open and there it was, right before my very eyes. The black and red dragon egg had hatched, revealing a young dragon. It was all black except for scarlet stripes the color of freshly spilled blood that ran all across it's body, but they were very prominent on it's wings, making them look as if they were soaked in fresh blood. It was my dragon from the vision, Bloodfyre. It squawked and growled, which I took as a sign that it wanted to communicate with me via our link. And so, I began my first "conversation" in High Valyrian with my newly hatched dragon.  
  
"Alright bud, I'm going to ask you a few questions. Nod your head if your answer is yes and shake your head if your answer is no. First, do you understand what I am saying?"  
  
The hatchling nodded briefly, and I suddenly realized how intelligent it was, despite it's extreme youth.  
  
"Alright, first question, are you male or female? Nod if you're male, shake if you're female."  
  
The hatchling nodded earnestly.  
  
"Can dragons change their sex at will?"  
  
The hatchling shook it's head vigorously.  
  
"Can dragons change their sex at all?"  
  
Again, the hatchling shook it's head vigorously.  
  
"Again, do you understand what I am saying?"  
  
The hatchling nodded earnestly.  
  
"Alright here's the hard one. Can you and will you obey my orders if they are in High Valyrian?"  
  
Again, the hatchling nodded, rather vigorously this time.  
  
"Now, time for the naming. Because of a dream I had literally 2 seconds ago, I'm going to name you Bloodfyre. Do you like that name or do you want me to choose another one? Nod if you like Bloodfyre, shake if you don't like it."  
  
The hatchling nodded vigorously, letting a shrill screeech of approval at my name choice. I smiled at my new brother, who was not from the same mother, but a brother just the same.  
  
"Alright Bloodfyre, give me a few minutes to gather up my stuff. Then we'll get out of this volcanic vent and back to Dragonstone."  
  
Bloodfyre nodded and turned to look at my hands. The blood had evaporated in the ritual, but there weren't even scars when I had cut my palms. Whatever magic the ritual involved had apparently seen fit to heal my hands at the same time. I shrugged, and then took out a cleaning rag from my knapsack. Even though Valyrian steel could never rust or get dull, I still liked to keep my weapons clean. As I cleaned my dagger, I looked at the other two eggs. They were right where I had placed them, silent and unmoving. In a split second, I made the decision to take the two eggs with me. After I finished cleaning my blood off my Valyrian steel dagger, I sheathed it in my boot, put the other two dragon eggs in my knapsack and threw the knapsack on my back, before grabbing the now extinguished torch.  
  
Then, I turned toward Bloodfyre. He squawked at me, which reminded me that he wasn't really capable of flying just yet. Kneeling down, I extended my right hand and Bloodfyre clambered onto it. I stood up and placed my right hand beside my left shoulder. Bloodfyre understood my intent and crawled from my hand to my left shoulder, where he perched, before letting out a shrill screech that I interpreted as joy. I looked at the extinguished torch in my left hand before speaking to Bloodfyre again in High Valyrian.  
  
"Mind lighting the torch? The passage gets pretty dark and I'd hate to trip and fall on some sharp dragonglass."  
  
Bloodfyre regarded me for a moment before turning to the torch and drawing his head back. His first couple attempts at launching a blast of dragonflame were failures, only producing some smoke and steam, but he was successful on his third attempt. The color of his flame was a bright scarlet, the same color as the stripes on his wings and body, with streams of black flame entwined in it. I marveled momentarily at the how cool his dragonflame was, before realizing that he had lit the torch already and that he was now staring at me. Laughing, the two of us continued our walk out of the volcanic vent.  
  
After we exited the cave, I looked out to the sea. The fishing skiff that I had arrive here on was here, just offshore. I could see the 3 smallfolk waving at me, and I waved back. After extinguishing the torch, I put all my stuff in the rowboat and let Bloodfyre crawl into the boat as well. Then, I pushed the boat off the beach before jumping in. After getting the boat turned around, I started rowing back the fishing skiff.  
  
The fisherman, his son, and his cousin cheered as I clambered back onboard the skiff. As the fisherman and his cousin hauled the rowboat aboard, his son asked me a question.  
  
"I beg your pardon Prince Maegor, but why is the dragon riding on your shoulder? Aren't you supposed to be riding on the dragon?  
  
"That might take a few years, but for now, he's riding on my shoulder." I replied with a laugh. "Hey, I'll be riding on him for many more years than he's going to be sitting on my shoulder. It's only fair that he gets to sit on my shoulder for a while."  
  
The fisherman's son nodded before asking, "Can I pet him?"  
  
I looked at Bloodfyre, who looked back at me and craned his head down, allowing the boy to pet him. The kid, who was about the same age as me, marveled at his achievement and quickly ran to tell his father and uncle about what he had just done. I laughed before leaning on the side of the skiff, enjoying the sunset on the open sea as it sailed back to the port of Dragonstone.  
  
**************************************************************************************************************************************************

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Medieval dental hygiene. The SI will invent mouthwash some time later.  
> 2\. SI has just been issued his first vision and his first prophecy. I will not give any spoilers on the prophecy, so please don't start pestering me.
> 
> Hope y'all like this chapter.  
> Comments and questions are always welcome!  
> -Black Dragon


	5. Queen Visenya of House Targaryen, the Real Person running the Six Kingdoms

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All conversation between the SI and Bloodfyre are in High Valyrian by default, though I have chosen to write it in English instead of High Valyrian, with some exceptions because there are a lot of English words with no High Valyrian counterpart (Blame GRRM). All conversation that should be in High Valyrian have been highlighted in red for your convenience. I've done the same to previous chapters.

**Port of Dragonstone, Dragonstone Island  
20 AC  
The Twenty-sixth day of the Seventh Moon **  
  
"What is it, Bloodfyre?"   
  
My dragon, which was the size of a large cat at this point, was perched on my left shoulder as he frantically nudged my neck in an attempt to get my attention. I turned and patted him on the head before giving him my attention. He quickly pointed his snout towards the left, at a sizeable codfish that lay amid a rack of other fish and seafood. It was just after midday, and a few fishing skiffs had returned from the fishing grounds to sell their catch while it was still fresh.  
  
"Not now Bloodfyre, I promise we'll go fishing later today."   
  
My assurances seemed to have placated him and he calmed down again, curling up on my shoulder as I walked down the docks towards a merchant cog of the Velaryon trading fleet that had arrived late last night, the _Lady Valaena_. Some crewmen were unloading crates and rolling barrels while others secured ropes and rigging. The captain was on deck with a piece of paper in his left hand, talking with a sailor that I assumed was his first mate. He noticed me almost immediately and got the captain's attention by shouting out a greeting to me. The captain nodded to his first mate and hurried down the gangplank to greet me. He was a short man with long silver hair tied up in a many-bun, a thin suntanned face, and deep blue eyes, typical Valyrian features.  
  
"Ah Prince Maegor, how are you on this fine day?"  
  
"Very well Captain Prestan. I trust that the winds and waves have been kind to you since we last spoke?"  
  
"Exceeding so, my Prince. Hence my early arrival." He chuckled before he observed Bloodfyre sleeping on my left shoulder. "It seems like you have become a dragonrider since our last conversation my Prince."  
  
"More like a dragon carrier, Captain. It will be at least a few years before I am able to fly around Westeros on Bloodfyre." I stroked Bloodfyre and he made a rumbling noise in his throat that I interpreted as amusement.  
  
"Bloodfyre. A fine name for a fine dragon, my Prince." The captain turned to look towards a sailor who was hollering orders at the crew.  
  
"Hmm... It's getting a bit noisy out here. Would you mind if we continued our conversation in my cabin?"  
  
"Of course not. Lead on, Captain."  
  
He nodded and started up the gangplank, as I trailed behind him. We entered a door under the quarterdeck that was held open by the first mate, who bowed as I walked past before closing the door. The captain poured two goblets of mead from a barrel in the left corner and offered one to me, which I graciously accepted before taking a seat in one of the two chairs that stood before the captain's desk. Captain Prestan took a seat as well, but then reached down and pulled something out of a drawer in his desk.  
  
"Here it is, my Prince. The Myrish eye that you had commissioned during our last meeting."  
  
He handed the cloth-wrapped package over to me. I unwrapped it and removed it from it's black leather carry case and uncapped it before I fully extended the 4.5 inch metal cylinder to it's full length of 15 inches. It was made of a unique alloy that had been gilded with platinum and it had a grip made of black sharkskin leather. The leather carrying case was made of sharkskin dyed black as well and there was a loop on the case that allowed me to string my belt through it. Overall, an elegant yet highly practical tool, well worth the 15 gold dragons that it cost and the 5 silver stags I had thrown in for the captain. (1)  
  
"Will you excuse me for a second here, Captain? I require a demonstration of this far-eye's abilities."  
  
Prestan nodded as I got up and exited the cabin, before ascending the quarterdeck. I picked out a small fishing skiff on the horizon, raised my spyglass, and put my eye to the lens. The results were somewhat surprising, for I could see the fishermen on the skiff very clearly and after closer inspection of the spyglass itself, discovered that the glass was smooth and free of any blemish or imperfection in it's entirety. A truly well crafted spyglass was worth it's weight in gold, and mine was just as good as the Bushnell rifle scope on my hunting rifle. I put away my new spyglass and strung the case through my belt before walking back to the captain's cabin. After sitting down once again, I took a long sip of mead before continuing my conversation with Captain Presten.  
  
For the next couple hours, I inquired about the demand for dragonglass in the Free Cities and where they were getting their current supply. As I had previous suspected (due to my meta-knowledge of Planetos), the sole exporter of dragonglass in any significant quantities was Asshai. However, the cost of dragonglass was extremely high even though the demand was rather low because of the sheer distance between Asshai and the Free Cities that processed the dragonglass into jewelry, statuettes, and other decorations. A shipment of dragonglass could easily be sunk in a storm or captured by pirates based out of the Stepstones or Basilisk Isles, which meant that the jewelers would have to wait for the next shipment; something that might take 9 months to arrive, if it arrived at all. The cannibals of Skagos were also known to trade dragonglass, but few would even consider going there, on account of their cannibalism and the fierce storms that raged around the island. (2)  
  
Dragonstone on the other hand, was only a week's worth of sailing away from the Free Cities and because the Dragonmont was an active volcano there was no risk of dragonglass ever running out. I had already hired a few smallfolk to scout out the sides of the Dragonmont for large deposits of dragonglass and then mine some of it, but not before swearing them to absolute secrecy. This dragonglass business was to be my secret source of revenue and I had no intention of ever telling anyone, except for Maegor's mother Visenya. She was the only person who I could trust completely in this dangerous world. At the conclusion of my conversation with the good captain, 2 crates of freshly mined dragonglass were loaded onto his ship. He made a toast to the success of our business, something I heartily agreed on.  
  
"So the profit is to be split in 5 equal shares, with one share going to me and the crew while the rest belonging to you." He took out a piece of paper and did some calculations before looking up again. "This is incredibly generous of you, my Prince, considering how much profit there is to be had from dragonglass."  
  
"It's not just the shipping I pay for Captain, but your secrecy as well. No one is to know about the content of the crates except you and the buyers."  
  
"Tis' true, my Prince. And believe me when I say that I'll take this secret to my grave." The captain smiled as he contemplated the gold dragons he would earn from this one trip, just as his first mate hollered something outside.  
  
"And that's the final barrel. I suppose I'll see you a couple weeks from now, Prince Maegor." The captain nodded to his first mate, who began yelling orders at the crew.  
  
"Good luck, Captain Prestan. May your voyage be blessed with swift winds and friendly tides." I shook hands with the captain and left the ship, walking back to Dragonstone. By the time we got back, Bloodfyre started screeching in agitation at me again.  
  
"Be patient Bloodfyre, we're still going fishing. I just have to get the new fishhooks from the blacksmiths."   
  
He calmed down again, but I could still feel his agitation in my mind through our mental link. The mental link was by far the most interesting result of the ritual because it allowed me and Bloodfyre to communicate our thoughts and emotions to one another without saying a single word. According to the Valyrian scroll, the link was not limited by distance, which meant that I could remotely ask him to provide airborne flamethrower support while I lead my armies from the ground in the future. I smiled at the thought, until Bloodfyre started giving me a weird look that said "Come on, it's just been a week bro! Stop getting ahead of yourself." I laughed at his reaction to my thoughts as I walked to Dragonstone's forge, while he gave me an annoyed huff and went back to sleeping on my shoulder.  
  
  
 **Some hours later...**  
  
I was fishing from a rowboat as Bloodfyre perched on the sides when I saw it from a distance, what seemed to be a tiny dark speck in the sky.(3) By this point I had already caught a dozen mackerel along with 3 sablefish and I was casting my line out one last time before rowing back. In my old life I was an avid angler, with experience fishing for both saltwater and freshwater species. After talking to a few local fishermen, I learned that the waters off Dragonstone were some of the most bountiful fishing grounds of Blackwater Bay, with a variety of fish and other marine life. It was like a dream come true for me. As Prince of Dragonstone I could go fishing almost whenever I wanted to, provided that I finished my training in the morning, something I actually enjoyed. I had already begun neglecting my lessons with Maester Orland for a couple weeks, choosing instead to read Valyrian scrolls and books that Maegor's ancestors had brought over from Valyria twelve years before it went kaboom. And it was simply because I already knew more about mathematics, science, and economics than any man alive in Planetos, which meant that any more lessons with the Maester would be a complete and absolute waste of my time. Heck, my meta-knowledge alone could probably save House Targaryen from it's OTL fate. But there was one subject area where I had no skills and that was magic.  
  
I began focusing my studies on magic and other arcane arts after the successful hatching ritual that gave me Bloodfyre, something that proved the existence of magic and the potential power that came with it. Strangely, magic came very easily for me, and I was able to preform several simple but useful tricks after a mere three weeks of studying them. One of the most interesting yet highly practical examples of magic I learn to perform was the conjuration of flames from my blood. I had stumbled upon the scroll that detailed the ritual whilst looking for information on dragon behavior and training a week ago and after examining the Valyrian glyphs, I realized that the ritual was extremely similar to what had happened when I hatched Bloodfyre. So I tried it and it worked, _instantly_. The blood that welled up from the cut in my palm I had made with my Valyrian steel dagger turned to flames immediately after I finished the short incantation. The result was shocking to me and I quickly spoke another incantation that put out the fire and sealed the wound, though strangely, there was no scar on my palm where I had cut myself. From that day onward, I vowed to spend at least 2-3 hours a day studying magic and the arcane arts. (4)  
  
As I reflected on my new magic tricks, I didn't notice the line growing tighter on my fishing rod until a sudden screech by Bloodfyre knocked me out of my thoughts and back into reality. Reacting swiftly, I jerked the rod back hard and with a smooth sweeping motion, pulled in my catch. It was a silvery, squirming mackerel, which I promptly placed in the large wicker creel that sat in the stern of the rowboat and then closed the lid. With my last fish caught, I stowed my rod away before wiping my hands on a rag and then taking out my new spyglass. I uncapped it, extended it to it's full length, pointed it at the small dark speck in the sky and then put my eye to lens. Unsurprisingly, the small dark speck turned out to be a dragon, red and bronze in color. Suddenly, the thought struck me.  
  
 _Balerion is black, so that can't be him and Aegon. Quicksilver was said to be white, so that can't be him and Aenys. That only leaves one last possibility, Vhagar and Maegor's mother Visenya. Or as I should say, my mother. Better hurry back to Dragonstone then._  
  
I immediately folded up the spyglass, put the cap on and placed it back in it's leather holder. Grabbing the two oars from the bottom of the hull, I placed them in their oarlocks and began rapidly rowing back to shore. Upon reaching the beach, I jumped out, pulled and then pushed the rowboat into a small cave. Afterwards, I took out the creel, placed the oars in the bottom of the hull and covered the rowboat with a large canvas tarp that was inside the cave.  
  
 _Alright, the rowboat is secured and covered. Now, time to get back to Dragonstone, take a bath, and change out of these peasant clothes into something more presentable._  
  
The creel had built in straps, so I threw it on my back and walked up the hidden trail back to Dragonstone with Bloodfyre curled up on top of the creel. The House Targaryen guards at the front gate recognized me and came to rigid attention, even though I was wearing roughspun peasant clothes, with a large wicker creel full of fish on my back and a fishing rod in my right hand. I stopped in the courtyard to take a half dozen mackerel and a sablefish out of the creel, which I placed on the ground for Bloodfyre.  
  
"Stay here in the courtyard, Bloodfyre. No flying around and definitely no scaring people. Got it?"  
  
Bloodfyre nodded eagerly, proceeding to roast one of the mackerel with his flames and then devoured the fish in one big gulp. I chuckled and then walked over to the kitchen where I told the head cook about the dinner arrangements after I unloaded the burden from my back.  
  
"Queen Visenya will be here tonight. Adjust the plans for dinner accordingly, but make sure to include the fish. Understood?"  
  
"Yes, my Prince." The cook bowed his head in respect and hurried back into the kitchen, yelling at some helpers to hurry up and bring the creel of fish inside.  
  
After informing the cooks about dinner, I hurried to my chambers and ordered a servant I encountered along the way to bring me a red shirt, black leather jerkin, black breeches, black leather belt, and a pair of black socks. I told him to bring it to the lava heated bathing chamber in the lower levels of the castle, to which he bow and did as I ordered. While the servant scurried off to do my bidding, I put away my fishing rod in a corner of my room and then locked the door to my chambers, before heading down to the steam baths. Normally, I would take time to enjoy the hot baths, which were heated up by molten lava from the Dragonmont itself, but today I was in a hurry and chose to bath quickly, scrubbing myself clean with soap and a brush. Still, I had time to reflect on the wonderful innovation that Maegor's Valyrian ancestors had made on this volcanic isle. The bathing chamber itself was made of the dragonstone, and it was garishly decorated like the rest of the castle with gargoyle on the walls and dragons holding torches that lit the room up with a dark light. There were 3 baths, each the size of a large backyard pool from my old life, with water temperatures ranging from warm to scalding hot, depending on the bath. Each bath had steps that lead into the bath with rails on the sides, much like a swimming pool. Strangely, I found myself enjoying the scalding steam bath despite my distaste for hot baths in my old life.  
  
 _Must be Maegor's dragonblood. I think I read somewhere that Daenerys Targaryen liked her baths scalding hot. Must be the dragonblood, after all, dragons like everything hot or burning._  
  
After my bath, I dried myself with a towel and put on the clean clothes and the new belt I had ordered the servant to carry to the bathing chambers. The servant took away my dirty clothes to have them cleaned and I walked back to the courtyard to greet Maegor's mother. **No, my mother.** I paused for a minute and thought about the question.  
  
 _I can't tell Visenya about the switch. I just can't. Not after all the suffering she's been through since her shitty marriage with Aegon, who I'm pretty sure is my dad, unless Visenya used some seriously powerful magic and pulled a Jesus on him. Whatever happens, I have to become her son. Not whoever I once was. Well, guess I better start acting the part then._  
  
I took one last deep breath before continuing my walk to the courtyard. I turned around a corner and there she was, Queen Visenya of House Targaryen, the Real Person running the Six Kingdoms, resplendent and regal in her black dragonriding outfit, with Dark Sister hanging from her left hip. Even though she was 52, she looked as if she was only in her mid-30s. Her long, silver-gold hair was braided and she wore a thin, ruby studded circlet. The most shocking part about Visenya however, was her beauty, which briefly shocked me into speechlessness. If she had lived on Earth, then she could have topped the "Most Beautiful Women over 50" list. Easily. I shook myself out of my stupor a moment later and I ran across the courtyard towards her, arms wide open. She opened her arms as well as she knelt down to my height and wrapped me in a tight hug. (5)  
  
Just then, Maegor's memories took over. I remembered growing up on Dragonstone, being raised by Visenya, who loved and cherished me above all. I remembered her gift to me on my 3rd name-day, a wooden sword that I had promptly named "Blackfyre"in imitation of the real sword. I remembered her telling me bedtime stories during a terrible storm to help me sleep. I remembered my first dragon ride with her on Vhagar, feeling the wind rush through my hair as I flew. I remembered her gift to me on my 8th name-day, the Valyrian steel dagger that was currently tucked away in my right boot. I remembered her telling me 2 days after my nameday that she had to go to King's Landing for some time and that she would be back in 3 moons.  
  
We stayed like that for almost a minute, before she let go of me and I did the same, almost simultaneously.  
  
"Maegor, you've grow so much in these three months!"  
  
"Have I, mother?"  
  
"Of course sweetling. Now, how have you been these past months?" (6)  
  
"Very well mother. Ser Gawen is most impressed with me and so is Maester Orland."  
  
"Wonderful. I knew you would excel in everything, just like me when I was your age."  
  
Just then, Bloodfyre let out a loud burp from the corner of the courtyard where he was curled up. Visenya's gaze shifted over to him and then she turned to look at me with a quizzical expression on her face.  
  
"I thought you didn't want to claim a hatchling?"  
  
"I didn't mother, I hatched him myself."  
  
I saw a look of concern flash across Visenya's face but it disappeared as quickly as it came. Still, I knew that that wasn't a good thing. Visenya was supposedly the most knowledgeable about magic and dragonlore, so her concern definitely meant that I done something wrong.  
  
"Did I do something wrong mother? Did I used the wrong ritual?"  
  
"Ritual? You used a ritual?"  
  
"Uhhh...Yes? I mean, how else does one hatch a dragon?"  
  
"Which ritual did you use? Was it the one titled 'Āzma hen Perzys'?" (7)  
  
"Umm... The scroll didn't really have a name for the ritual. It was just part of some ancient Valyrian guide to training and breeding dragons. I think... I think I looks old enough to be part of Aenar Targaryen's library before he moved House Targaryen to Dragonstone.  
  
Visenya's face grew more concerned as I talked and I started getting nervous, fear seeping in my heart. "Can you show me the scroll, Maegor? I would like to take a look at it."  
  
"Of course mother. I was going to put it back on it's shelf in the library tonight, but it's still on my desk right now. Did you want see the scroll right now?"  
  
"Yes Maegor. I think I know the ritual you are talking about, but I want to confirm it." She looked at my face, now pale and fearful. "It alright Maegor. You have done nothing wrong. I just want to confirm something."  
  
Her words reassured me as we started towards my chambers. When we reached my room, I unlocked the door and held it open for her.  
  
"Locking your doors? This isn't like you Maegor."  
  
"No, it's just...I have some delicate materials in my room that I'd prefer no one know about just yet. I'll explain it all to you at dinner."  
  
We entered the room and I passed her the scroll. Visenya sat down at my desk and began reading, while I stood right beside her and watched. The silence was deafening. And then, it all came loose. My mother turned to me, her expression unreadable, as she sighed.  
  
"Maegor, did you read the section that explained the effects of the ritual before you preformed it?"  
  
"Wait, there's a section about the effects? Was it at the very end of the scroll?" Visenya nodded sadly, before handing the scroll back to me and turned her head towards the window, looking out at the boundless sea that surrounded Dragonstone. Her face was still an unreadable mask, though I detected a hint of regret and sadness as she turned towards me.  
  
"Maegor, do you what this ritual has done to you?"  
  
"Well, aside from the fact that I can communicate with Bloodfyre via our thoughts, our strong mental bond, and my ability to feel his emotions if I concentrate, I don't feel any different."  
  
"Maegor, what I'm about to tell you must never be repeated to anyone."  
  
"Of course mother, I mean, it's not like anyone would understand or care."  
  
"No, I mean it Maegor. You must never tell anyone about this, especially your father." She sighed. "I need your word, Maegor. That you won't tell anyone."  
  
"Of course mother. I, Maegor of House Targaryen, swear that I will take this information to my grave. Now can you tell me what's happened to me?"  
  
"Alright, though what I'm about to say will not sound pleasant." She paused for a moment before continuing. "Maegor, this ritual you preformed has made your connection with your dragon significantly stronger, but it does come with consequences. Heavy consequences. The worst possibility occurs when the link is severed violently, which drives the living half of the link insane. It says in this scroll that a Valyrian dragonrider who had such a link with her dragon became insane after her dragon was fatally wounded during one of the Ghiscari Wars. She did not survive for long after her dragon's death either and while she lingered, she was screaming incoherently and tearing at her face and hair, so much that she had to be restrained. Conversely it also says in the scroll that a dragon who's rider was killed by an arrow during battle also became insane, attacking anything and everything in sight. It was for this reason that the Freehold eventually forbade anyone from practicing the ritual and they exiled those who refuse to Gogossos. The potential cost was just too steep a price to pay." (8)  
  
"So why did they not destroy every copy of the ritual then?"  
  
"They did, though some defiant sorcerers and dragonriders managed to copy the ritual down as part of wider books and scrolls, in order to preserve this knowledge. Now tell me Maegor, what do you know of your Aunt Rhaenys?"  
  
"Well, uhh... You did tell me once that she loved to fly more than anything, and that she supposedly loved Meraxes even more than _father_. But what does that have to do with this ritual, unless..." I paused to contemplate the possibility, before lowering my voice to a whisper. "Aunt Rhaenys preformed the ritual?!?" (9)  
  
"Yes, though I was the one who found the scroll." Visenya shook her head. "I warned her not to, of the risks... But she was adamant that I help her and I did. I was there when she cut her palms, placed her bloody hands on Meraxes's head, and spoke the words. After that, they were inseparable, dragon and rider became one. Now, do you understand why I was concerned when you told me about the ritual?"  
  
"Yes, but I have a question. What happens if one of us dies naturally? Will the other still go mad?"  
  
"No, if the link can be severed peacefully if one side is on the verge of death by speaking an incantation, which is at the very end of the scroll." I unrolled the scroll to the very end, and sure enough, there it was, the words of severance. "But now it's too late, you have already spoken the words and given your blood. The link has been established. I just wish I was there to guide you when you claimed your dragon." I knew what she had left unspoken though, the fact that she had a realm to run while Aegon strutted around the Seven Kingdoms making himself look important.  
  
"It's alright mother, I understand. And I'll be careful when I'm with Bloodfyre."  
  
"Bloodfyre." She mused upon the word a few moments before giving her verdict. "You chose a good name Maegor, an interesting one too, a play on our house words." Visenya smiled at me and stroked my hair before looked out the window again, where the sun had begun setting, sinking into the sea and filling the sky with it's dying rays. "Maegor, what was that other issue you were going to talk to me about?"  
  
"That mother, is best discussed over dinner. I already told the cooks to prepare a private dinner for us."  
  
"Good. We'll go to my solar and eat there." My mother got up from the chair, rolled up the scroll and put it back on my desk before heading towards the door to my chambers.  
  
"Right now?"  
  
"Yes, unless you prefer to go to sleep without dinner." With that, I followed her out the door, though I remembered to take out my key and lock my chambers before following her.  
  
After walking through several corridors and a up a set of turnpike stairs, we arrived at my mother's solar, though not before she told a passing servant to have our dinner be brought up to the room. As I walked through the door into Visenya's solar, I couldn't help but be amazed at it's size and the amount of books and scrolls and various Valyrian artifacts that stood upon shelves that lined the walls. The sole piece of art in the room was a tapestry on a wall that depicted her single-handed conquest of the Vale, something which was unrivaled, even in the conquest. We sat down as the servants brought our dinner to us, upon trays. The main course was the mackerel and sablefish I had caught earlier today, grilled and served upon greens. There was also a dish of turnips, pease, and beets as well as a plate of black bread and honeycakes. Along came a pitcher of filled with a wine that I suspected to be Arbor Gold, along with another pitcher of iced lemon water, something I enjoyed in my old life. My mother dismissed the servants after the dishes had been served and the last one out closed the door.  
  
"So, you've decided to do some fishing today?"  
  
"Yes mother. Apparently Bloodfyre has acquired a taste for seafood and I decided to indulge him today." That prompted a chuckle from my mother, who took a sip of her wine and began to eat.  
  
"Now, about that other thing I was going to tell you." I took a sip of lemon water and a deep breath.  
  
 _Come on, you can do this. You have a Bachelor in International Business. This should be an easy pitch to make, just a simple business plan. Sell dragonglass, make money._  
  
And so began my business proposal. (10)  
  
************************************************************************************************************************************

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes:  
> 1\. Myrish far eyes are expensive. Ones made from sharkskin leather and gilded with platinum even more so.
> 
> 2\. The ASOIAF wiki says that the only place that exports dragonglass in significant quantities is Asshai, which is really far away. Which makes their monopoly really vulnerable to competition.
> 
> 3\. Yes, in case your wondering, it's the same rowboat from Chapter 3. The SI bought it because, why not?
> 
> 4\. Maegor's blood is not normal. Interpret it how you will. The rest will be explained, gradually. ;)
> 
> 5\. The SI doesn't want to hurt Visenya because he knows how much she's already suffered. So he's going to do his best and try to become her son. He's also a big admirer of hers because who wouldn't admire the best queen of House Targaryen, the woman who conquered the Vale by giving a kid a dragon ride.
> 
> 6\. A true mother will always love her son, despite all his faults. Visenya is no different.
> 
> 7\. Āzma hen Perzys means Born of Fire in High Valyrian.
> 
> 8\. @Dalradia Your consequences have arrived. :p
> 
> 9\. This is my way of explaining why Rhaenys loved to fly so much. She had a special connection with her dragon that her siblings did not share. More on that later.
> 
> 10\. Better to tell Visenya about the business, than let her find out on her own. Her reaction? That's Chapter 5.
> 
> One last thing. Many people have asked about Bloodfyre's growth rate or speculated about it and here is my answer. There is no set formula on how fast dragons grow as they are creatures of fire and magic, which prevents them from being bound to some mathematical formula. Also, Bloodfyre was hatched using that ritual, which will affect his growth rate significantly as well. But there is still a growth process. The SI won't be able to flying on Bloodfyre for some time. How long that time period is will be revealed in good time. ;)
> 
> So originally, I wanted to put Visenya's reaction to Maegor's judgement in this chapter but then this chapter got too big, so I decided to make two chapters out of it. Visenya reaction will have to wait until Chapter 5.  
> But yeah, here it is. Chapter 4.  
> Comments and questions are always welcome!  
> Feel free to point out any spelling or grammar mistakes. I try to catch them all, but for some reason there are always a couple that manage to slip through. ;)  
> -Black Dragon


	6. Consequence, Coin, and Companionship

**Dragonstone Castle, Dragonstone Island  
20 AC  
The Second day of the Eighth Moon **  
  
It was on a bright summer day with a bluebird sky that the _Lady Valaena_ returned from her voyage to Myr. (1) I had just finished thrashing a couple squires in a training bout when a servant came and notified me that the ship had docked. Still in my training gear, I called for Serjeant Bean to rally 10 of my guards, mount up, get a horse cart prepped and head to the front gate while I ran to the stables and ordered a nearby stable boy to have Blackjack, my black stallion, saddled and ready. As soon they were finished, I mounted Blackjack and rode to the front gate, where Serjeant Bean and 8 of my personal guards were mounted, the other 2 were driving a horse cart.  
  
"What are your orders, Prince Maegor?"  
  
"Follow me to the docks. I have a valuable package there I want you to escort back to Dragonstone. Once you get the package loaded up, return to Dragonstone immediately, and notify my mother if my conversation lasts too long. Understand?"  
  
"Yes, my Prince." Serjeant Bean nodded before commanding his men. "You heard the Prince, men! Let's get moving!"  
  
As Serjeant Bean marshaled my men, I was already halfway out the front gate, when I put Blackjack into a gallop and raced down towards the docks. The feeling of the wind flowing through my hair as Blackjack raced down the path was exhilarating, and I tried to imagine what it would feel like to do the same on Bloodfyre once he was big enough to ride. I slowed Blackjack down once I neared the docks, as the path became more crowded. It was a busy day, with merchants and smallfolk weaving around Blackjack, going about their daily business. I rode down the docks until I reached the distinct shape of the _Lady Valaena,_ and then dismounted. Captain Prestan was atop the quarterdeck giving orders to his men, though he quickly noticed me and hurried down to meet me. I waited by the gangplank as the captain hurried down.  
  
"How was your voyage, Captain?"  
  
"Very well, Prince Maegor. The winds and waves were as kind as always." The captain reached into one of this pockets and pulled out a key, which he handed to me. "The key to the gold." I took it and looped it inside my key ring, before continuing.  
  
"So, how did the dragonglass sell?"  
  
"Very, very well, my Prince. The supply from Asshai was delayed for some reason or the other and the merchants fought a bidding war over our two crates." He chuckled at the memory. "Final price at end of the bidding war was 300 gold dragons per crate, with a profit of 280 gold dragons if you take away all the expenses. I specifically stated that we would only accept gold dragons, as you requested beforehand."  
  
"Excellent. I trust that you have already deducted your share from the profit?"  
  
"Yes, my Prince. However, there's one thing that I wish to bring to your attention."  
  
"You have my attention, Captain Prestan. Please continue."  
  
"You see, Prince Maegor, the news that a new and reliable source of dragonglass becoming available has caused quite a stir in among the jewelers of Myr." He reached into his coat and pulled out several rolls of parchment, all of which had different seals on them. "The jewelers who were present at the bidding war have all written letters to the new supplier, as I have kept your identity and the location of the dragonglass deposits a careful secret, as you ordered."  
  
"That's good to hear. I presume these letters are requests from these jewelers for me to supply them exclusively with dragonglass, so they can prevent their competitors from accessing this new source?"  
  
"Correct on the first try, Prince Maegor. Several of them have offered a variety of things in exchange, most of them offered a monthly payment of gold, others offered manses in Myr and fertile croplands outside the city complete with slaves, and there are even some who have offered their daughter's hand in marriage." (2)  
  
"Well, unfortunately for them, I'm not interested in these offers, though the ones offering marriage will seem tempting in another 8 years. But only if the bride is of pure Valyrian stock with platinum hair, the face of the Maiden herself, and the body of a goddess. My mother would settle for nothing less."(3) I laughed and the captain chuckled in response. "We'll stick to our current method and let them bid for each crate. Did you tell them that there will be only one supply run per month?"  
  
"That's the first thing I said, my Prince and I'm pretty sure that's what caused the bidding war."  
  
"Excellent. I look for forward to doing business with you again Captain Prestan. May the winds and waves be kind as always. " We shook hands and parted ways as the crew of the _Lady Valaena_ unloaded the locked chest from their cog, which my guards promptly loaded onto the horse cart. After the chest was secured, I climbed onto the cart and using the key, opened the chest slightly. From the small crack, I could see the glittering gold dragons that lay inside. Satisfied, I sealed the chest and locked it once more, before hopping down the cart and mounting Blackjack.  
  
"Let's get back to Dragonstone, men!" With that we headed back to the castle, the column lead by myself, with the horse cart in the middle being protected by 4 mounted guards on each side and Serjeant Bean holding the rear. After getting back to Dragonstone, I dismounted and dismissed the guards and Serjeant Bean back to their regular duties, except the 2 guards driving the horse cart, who were unloading the chest.  
  
"Men, take the chest and follow me."  
  
"Yes, my Prince." The two guards did exactly as told, following me as they carried the chest in a vertical manner, with one man in front and the other at the back. A few corridors, some stairs, and a turnpike staircase later, we arrived in front of my mother's solar. I knocked and heard a soft "Come in" before I opened the door and walked in. Visenya was sitting at her desk, reading a scroll as she looked up at me and the two men hauling the chest with a interested look on her face.  
  
"Place it down right here." The guards put the chest exactly where I had specified, before standing up to catch their breath. "Good job men. Dismissed to your regular duties." The two men came to attention before leaving the solar, one of the men closing the door on the way out. I took out the key and opened the chest all the way, revealing it's glittering contents, all 448 gold dragons of profit from the dragonglass. Smiling, I turned around to look at my mother.  
  
"Your promise Mother?" I smiled as I recalled our conversation the night before at dinner, where I had outlined my plans for the dragonglass business. I had wanted to expand the business beyond a simple mineral extraction operation, but my mother had disagreed stating that anything bigger than a half dozen men were liable to be discovered by Aegon, who would probably demand a big chunk of the profits. She had suggested that we keep the operation small until we had enough profit, to which I suggested that the profits would then be used to purchase establishments such as taverns, brothels, and inns through a trusted person under our command and sworn to secrecy. The taverns, brothels, and inns would generate further profit, and also serve as the basis for a spy network to monitor the Seven Kingdoms for any kind of dissent against House Targaryen. I then proceeded to explain that we, House Targaryen, would have to start a our own Crown bank someday soon, a rival against the lesser banks of Essos and the Iron Bank as well as the sole authorized mint.  
  
This would serve a safeguard against any possibility of currency debasement and the pervasive power of the Iron Bank, I explained. Visenya listened to my proposals soundlessly until I had finished and sat down to take a long sip of mead. And then she agree. She agreed with everything I said, but explained I needed to prove the viability of my enterprise. She promised to aid me in whatever way she could if I proved the viability of the enterprise, but if the enterprise was not viable, then I would have to shut down operations immediately. Essentially, everything banked on whether the two crates of dragonglass sold well or not. Fortunately for me, the dragonglass had sold even better than I thought and now my enterprise would gain my mother's full support.  
  
"Impressive. Very impressive indeed. Very well Maegor, I now pledge my full support for this enterprise." She had a indecipherable look on her face as she spoke. "But I believe you've forgotten something."  
  
"Have I mother? I don't recall forgetting anything. I've presented the gold to you and you've pledged your support for my enterprise. What else is there to be done? Open a bottle of Arbor Gold and make a toast to our new business?"  
  
"The chest, son. Do you intend it to sit here for the rest of eternity?" I quickly paled, realizing my mistake of dismissing the guards before making sure that there was nothing left for them to do. My discomfort drew an amused look from Visenya, which quickly made me realize that my mother was just teasing me.  
  
"It's alright Maegor. I'll call someone over to get this down to the treasury. Now, sit down. I have something to tell you." Obediently, I took a seat in one of the two chairs in front of her desk and straightened my back, intent on hearing whatever the Dragon Queen had to say. When she spoke again though, her voice had changed and I noticed there was an sharp edge to it.  
  
 _Oh shit. Did she figure out who I am!?!? (5)_  
  
"Maegor, do you remember the judgement you passed a month ago?" Internally, I let out a large sigh of relief. This wasn't about the switch. My secret was still safe.  
  
"Do you mean the case involving Serjeant Bean?"  
  
"Yes." Visenya took a breath before continuing, her voice terrifyingly quiet, a deadly edge to her tone. "Who or what made you think that clearing him of all charges was a good idea? The man took the maiden without a betrothal or the permission of her brother and you REWARDED him for it. Have you gone out of your mind Maegor? Do you realize what you did?"  
  
The silence was deafening and I felt time stretch out, as moments turned into seconds and seconds into minutes. I thought about what Visenya had just said and composed myself before responding.  
  
"Mother I am highly aware of what I did. I could have had the accuser executed for lying to a member of the royal family, but I did not do that because funerals and weddings don't go well together."  
  
My mother replied with a singular word. "Explain."  
  
"The accuser, Ethan, claimed that our man-at-arms, Serjeant Bean had raped his sister. But when I asked the girl, she said that she had laid with him willingly. Thus, Ethan knowingly lied to me, as he had talked with his sister before I passed judgement, yet kept to his story. Lying to the Prince of Dragonstone is a terrible crime, one that can be punished with death, as I recall."  
  
"I did not know this. But still, you should not have given the man a gold dragon afterwards, for you are now encouraging this sort of behavior among our soldiers. Do you know what this could potential result in?"  
  
"But Mother-" I tried say something to defend my point before Visenya cut me off. I wisely decide to shut the hell up and listen to her commands.  
  
 _Better listen to what she says. After all, Visenya the one who's been living here all her life, not me. I'm just uninvited guest in the House of the Targaryens._  
  
"Listen to me carefully. Despite our power and our dragons, we cannot simply do as we wish, Maegor, or else House Targaryen's reign over Westeros will be very, very short. Do you understand me?" (6)  
  
"Yes mother." I bowed my head in shame, knowing that I had disappointed Visenya.  
  
"However despite all, at least you didn't attempt to please both sides like your brother Aenys would have done. Maybe Balerion save us all if that fool ever graces the Iron Throne." She sighed before continuing on. "Let this be a lesson for you Maegor. For your sake, I hope we never have to repeat this conversation."  
  
"Yes, mother. I understand." I said as I bowed my head.  
  
"Now, there's one other thing I want to talk to you about. So lift your head up and listen." I did as I was told as Visenya continued. "Because I cannot be on Dragonstone all the time, I have decided to find you a foster brother. His name is Edwyn Waters, Lord Celtigar's natural son and he's 4 years older than you. Lady Celtigar is not fond of him, so Lord Celtigar and I have agreed to foster him here. He'll be arriving here tomorrow at noon. Any questions?"  
  
The news hit me like a freight train. I opened my mouth to speak, but then closed it again, considering the implications of my mother's announcement.  
  
 _Why a bastard? Unless she sees me as a new Aegon and Edwyn is supposed to be the new Orys... Does my mother plan to unseat Aenys and put me on the Iron Throne?!?!?_  
  
I looked my mother in the eye as I gave her my response. "Mother, do you intend for me to become a new Conqueror and Edwyn to be my Hand?"  
  
She said nothing, but the glint in her eyes told me everything I needed to know. She smiled at me before replying. "Maegor, everything I am doing, will do, and have done is for your own good. Just trust me on this one. Now go get changed. It's time for our noon meal."  
  
I nodded and left the solar, closing the door on my way out, my mind spinning as I walked back to my room.  
  
 _Here we go Maegor, here we go. The time is nigh and the great game is afoot. Let's just hope I never have to sit on that prickly chair ever in my entire life._  
  
I sighed deeply as I walked down to courtyard to change out my training gear.  
  
************************************************************************************************************************************

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes:  
> 1\. I used guessimation and calculation to come up with a travel time of one week. Notice how Captain Prestan says that it was under good weather that he achieved this travel time.
> 
> 2\. Heh, heh, heh. :p
> 
> 3\. Why does Visenya demand that Maegor marry a Valyrian bride? Hmmmm...... I wonder.........🤔🤔🤔
> 
> 4\. I updated this part. Sorry if I disappointed anyone with version 1. I was out fishing with my friends and I didn't get back until late at night.
> 
> 5\. Ah, the ever present threat of being discovered.
> 
> 6\. Visenya is highly aware of how delicate the Targaryen hold on Westeros is, especially in light of Meraxes's shotdown and the revelation that neither dragons nor Targaryens are invincible.
> 
> Bloodfyre is just flying around and chilling this chapter. Gotta give the dragon a break. ;)  
> My promise has been kept. Visenya's reaction to the dragonglass enterprise and Maegor's judgement are both here.
> 
> Comments and questions are always welcome!  
> Feel free to point out any spelling or grammar mistakes. I try to catch them all, but for some reason there are always a couple that manage to slip through.  
> Chapter 6 is coming! ;)  
> -Black Dragon


	7. Interlude: Visenya

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A look at how Visenya Targaryen is adapting to SI!Maegor and his way of living and doing things.   
> Written for me by Widowmaker94, writer of A Queen's Conquest.   
> Link to her fic is below.   
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/24013600/chapters/57772054

Visenya sipped at her Arbor Gold as she sat in her favorite chair in the solar. The solar that had once been her father’s, that by law would have passed to Aegon in his capacity as Lord of Dragonstone, but that she had taken for her own as he so often shunned the place.  
  
Her eyes wandered across a room that was more than familiar to her, precious objects that she liked adorned various places in the solar itself, and some had a history stretching to before the flight from Valyria by her ancestor Aenar the Exile.  
  
A solar she loved, she sat in the chair her father once sat in, where as a small child she had rested on his lap after lessons. Learning at his feet the foundations of what would become her knowledge of sorcery, for Aerion was a mere dabbler in the arts compared with her. His love was more for the woman that he had married, for the lesser concubine from whose impure womb had come the brother that she loved. _Would that I had ruled Dragonstone, Orys. Mayhap…_ Not for the first time, the image of herself as ruler and Orys as stalwart and faithful consort leaped forth unbidden in her mind. His eyes, his eyes that were so dark one could almost miss the purple in them.  
  
None of Argella’s children had his eyes. Only the eyes of the Storm King. Of Durran’s blood.  
  
Her hands roamed across her fine desk, hands less callused than they had once been, for there had not been as great a need for her to be a warrior in the years since Maegor’s birth. _Maegor, my son. My blood, my little dragon._  
  
She thought of the dragon he had hatched. It was a fine one indeed, she could see that its wings would one day shadow villages, and its flame consume castles like so much tinder.  
  
Eyes like amethyst focused on the tapestry that she had received as a gift from Rhaenys. A gift commemorating her bloodless capture of the Mountain and Vale. _Uncle’s ship was rammed by a Valeman ship, Aethan said._ She had been away scouting, they had not expected the attack to happen so soon outside Gulltown, the plan had been to blockade the city and force their surrender with her dragon. Astride Vhagar she had burned the fleet of the Valemen and their Braavosi allies to cinders. _I should have been faster._  
  
Still, she remembered the capture of the Eyrie as if it were yesterday. Oh, the stories and songs that Rhaenys had so encouraged made it seem easy. But it was a close thing, at one of the strongholds, she believed it had been the Snow gate, they had loosed bolts, and narrowly missed her unguarded neck. _Were my luck but a bit poorer, I might have died at that moment._  
  
When she had arrived, she had planned to burn the castle, the Arryns’ prized cage, but little Ronnel had been alone. Where she and Vhagar had greeted him not with fire and blood, but kind words and an offer that an eager little boy could not refuse. _A man grown now._ She smiled at the memory.  
  
That smile turned to a frown as she focused on the present. Her lips pursed in thought. _He does not speak like my Maegor. But he **is** my son. _Even his gestures, how he held himself, they were different from how he normally behaved. She knew not what had happened while she had been away.  
  
Truly, the business proposal he had made was sound. Though she felt him too lenient, the work not controlled enough, but it was a solid foundation. It was not, however, something born of a child’s mind. His maturity was unusual.  
  
She had heard tales of the shadows of the dead that lurked in the farthest east. Of sorcerers that had summoned them forth for knowledge, of men that were made vessels by the very powers they sought to bind.  
  
Her son had dabbled in magic, had started teaching himself sorcery. He hatched a dragon, his Bloodfyre, on his own. _Has he lost himself? Is that my Maegor?_ The worry flashed through her, before she reminded herself that she had felt nothing out of place. At least, not anything that could show two presences or more. Maegor was _different_ , but he was Maegor.  
  
 _What has happened to you?_ She massaged her temples. It was too much to think about. Especially this day of all days.  
  
Visenya, mother of the realm, who had sat in judgement on the Iron Throne itself many times, stood up and gathered her candles. They were ashen grey, and they each had three rings of thin lavender string, one at the top center and base.  
  
Candles dedicated to Meleys and Morghul. Marriage and Death. Of Rhaenys’ patron, and the god by whose will her soul was shepherded to her ancestors. Morghul, who would one day reunite her with Rhaenys, with her mother and father.  
  
The candles she had made every year since Rhaenys’ death. For the anniversary of her passing.  
  
She lit the candles, arranging them as Rhaenys had liked arranging her own when their mother had passed. She spoke prayers to the gods, for health and thanks as well as protection for herself and her son and even her nephew.  
  
“I love him little, but he is your blood, little sister.” She would protect that piece of Rhaenys until her dying day. The way she never could protect the boy’s mother. _He should have let me go._ Rhaenys had been too bold, too daring, and she had begged Aegon to let her have Dorne on her own. Aegon could never deny her. _It was your fault._ She wished she had pressed harder for Aegon to not let her go alone.  
  
The girl whose laugh could make even the dreariest part of her home island seem bright. Who everyone loved. Whose light Aegon’s idiocy had let pass from the world forever. When she lost Rhaenys, it was like losing her mother a second time.  
  
She knelt before the lit candles. Her eyes closed, she could almost feel her sister beside her, and she cherished that feeling.  
  
“Mayhap if you were alive, you could have made Aenys stronger. Aegon has spoiled your boy.” Her warm voice hardened, becoming colder. “But a king does not rule alone.”  
  
A touch of sadness stained her next words, as two tears made their way down her cheeks.  
  
"Ten years is a much longer time without you, little sister."


	8. Calm before the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maegor loses a bet, make a new friend, and told that he's going to be taught magic.

A/N: All images belong to their respective creators. Just fair use right here.  
  
 **Dragonstone Castle, Dragonstone Island  
21 AC  
The Fifth day of the Second Moon **  
  
"Bet you can't hit that seagull flying over there!"  
  
"And what if I do hit the seagull?" Edwyn nocked an arrow as he grinned at me.  
  
"Ten silver stags." I was rather confident that he would misjudge the distance and drop rate of the arrow. Yet it seemed that my confidence was misplaced only moments later.  
  
"Deal." He drew back the bowstring, aiming at the seagull as it flew around in wide lazy circles. It was over in an instant once he let his arrow fly and all I could see was the seagull falling from the sky with his arrow embedded in it's body.  
  
I sighed as I dug 10 silver stags out of my pouch, and then placed them into Edwyn's open palm.  
  
"That was for yesterday's training bout, Maegor." He had lost a training bout against me, as usual, despite being 4 years older than me. My natural skill in fighting annoyed him to no end, ever since our first training bout. However, his skills in archery made up for some of it, as my archery skills were miserable at best, no matter what I did.(1) However, the smile on his face told me that it was no big deal, as Edwyn had accepted my superiority in hand-to-hand combat and his own superiority in archery.  
  
"I didn't even try yesterday!" _Did I actually exert myself yesterday?_ Winning melees had become commonplace for me and I consistently beat boys 2 to 4 years my elder in bouts. I racked my memory for particulars about yesterday's bout against Edwyn but nothing came up that indicated I had exerted myself more than usually. Fortunately, Ser Gawen kept increasing the difficulty of my training as I progressed, so I would never grow complacent from my success. He also began introducing me different weapons such as the flail and battleaxe, but I personally preferred to use either a sword and shield or a two handed mace.  
  
"You didn't even try?!? What happens to your opponents if you try?" asked Edwyn with a quizzical look on his face, his silver-gold eyebrows all scrunched up.  
  
"I dunno, maybe a broken nose, probably a couple broken ribs as well? To be honest, I've never really had to try that often."  
  
At that very moment I spotted Bloodfyre making his way to the dead seagull, nosing the dead bird like it was dinner.  
  
"Bloodfyre, don't eat the damn bird!" He turned towards me and gave me a look that said "But I'm hungry!". I sighed again before turning to Edwyn.  
  
"Do you mind telling Petyr to get another sheep? Bloodfyre here is hungry again."  
  
"Of course not, though I do have a question. Didn't you just feed Bloodfyre this morning Maegor?"  
  
"Yes, but apparently the appetite of a dragon gets bigger as it grows." Edwyn shrugged his shoulders as he walked off to find Petyr and relay my request. I walked over to Bloodfyre and rubbed his head as I sat down beside him. He had grown significantly since his hatching and he was now the size of horse, though he was still too small for me to ride him.(2) Still, he was growing faster by the day, as the more he ate, the more he grew. I was confident that would be able to mount him and soar through the skies within a year.  
  
"Just one more year, Bloodfyre. One more year and we will fly higher than the clouds and touch the stars." I whispered to him as he curled up, resting his head beside me as I rubbed his horns. As I watched the clouds roll lazily through the blue sky, I reflected on the time that had passed since the start of the dragonglass business and Edwyn's arrival. It had been a relatively quiet year, with the business growing steadily and a total of 2 taverns and 1 brothel had been purchased through our middleman, who would manage all these businesses as well. He was a man named Jaremy, who had Visenya had known for many years and long since gained her trust.  
  
It was during that meeting which I met Petyr, his son. He was the same age as Edwyn and through our conversations, I detected a strong sense of cunning, as well as ruthless determination to follow orders, which was combined with absolute loyalty to House Targaryen and my mother Visenya in particular. This intrigued me greatly and I made an offer to him, to which he eagerly agreed. He would stay on Dragonstone and become my personal servant, though I had other plans for him in store. When his father agreed to his decision, the dark, vicious part of me howled with joy, as I was certain I had found my future master of whisperers.  
  
His father Jaremy was just a simple merchant before he lost his wife to a bandit attack near the Kingswood when Petyr was only 4 years old. A group of House Targaryen soldiers on patrol had found Jaremy, beaten and bruised, cradling his dead wife. The soldiers brought him before my mother, who promised him justice for his wife's murder. And that she did. The bandits were quickly captured and on Visenya's orders, they were tortured to death as Jaremy watched with a satisfied look on his face.  
  
"Your mother avenged the death of mine, Prince Maegor. For that, I swear that I'll follow you to the Seven Hells and back if you gave the order." he had told me. And later, he sealed his oath in fire and blood, an Valyrian ritual where a servant would swear their life and loyalty to a master. That meeting had happened 4 months and 2 days ago though, and he had long since settled into his new routine on Dragonstone as my personal servant. Similarly, Edwyn had settled into his new routine of fighting lessons in the courtyard and lessons with the Maester Orland alongside me. However, there were several notable differences in my lessons with the Maester, as my mother had specifically requested that my education be focused on subject areas that I wasn't familiar with, such as the laws of the Six Kingdoms, the geography of Westeros, and other similar subjects. Skills such as mathematics, basic science, reading, and writing were avoided, after I proved to her and the maester that I had mastered them, in a display that left them both surprised at my intellectual skills.  
  
I watched as Edwyn and Petyr walked towards me and Bloodfyre, with a House Targaryen servant leading a single sheep trailing behind them. They were discussing something as they walked, which gave me a chance to compare their appearances. Edwyn was tall and slim, with lilac eyes and long silver-gold hair that reached his shoulders, traits from his father and mother, who was a Lysene prostitute. His comely face attracted the attention of many girls on Dragonstone, and he would often respond to their charms. In contrast, I had the same fine Valyrian features though it was tempered by a harsh, spartan edge, much like my mother Visenya. Edwyn on the other hand, always had an easy smile on his face.  
  
Petyr on the other hand, looked like a smallfolk born and bred. He had brown hair, brown eyes and a plain, ordinary face with no distinguishing features, a visage that afforded him a degree of anonymity, especially when he wore a brown cloak. As well, he had an average physique, shorter than Edwyn and neither muscular nor fat. As he and Edwyn walked closer I wondered what they were talking about. When they walked up to me, Petyr had a uncomfortable look on his face, as did Edwyn.  
  
"Prince Maegor, we have something important to tell you." began Petyr, as they twiddled his thumbs nervously. This can't be good, by the looks of things.  
  
"Well, I already know it can't be anything good, because you're calling me Prince Maegor again even though I told you both to just call me Maegor." I chuckled as I remembered how long it took for them to stop calling me "Prince Maegor" or "my Prince" when we were talking in private.  
  
"Now that you already know, I guess I'll just say it them. Queen Visenya has ordered you to go and meet with her in her solar. The servant told us it was urgent, very urgent." continued Edwyn.  
  
"If she commands it so, then I must obey." I got up from where I was sitting beside Bloodfyre, dusted off my black trousers, and gave my dragon one last pat on the head before making my way to my mother's solar. After walking up to my mother's solar, I knocked on the door and received a soft "come in", to which I opened the door. My mother was sitting at her desk, looking at a piece of parchment with a serious, almost angry expression on her face. I quickly closed the door and sat down on one of the seats in front of her desk.  
  
"You took your time." From the tone of her voice, I knew that Visenya was only annoyed and not angry.  
  
"Bloodfyre was hungry again, so I had to send for a servant to get him another sheep. I apologize for my lateness."  
  
"If he's eating more that means he's growing fast. How long till you think you're capable of riding him?"  
  
"Around 9 moons, I'd guess. A full year at most, but that pretty unlikely considering his current growth rate. Is there a reason why you want me to start my dragonriding training so soon mother?"  
  
"Read this." she said as she passed me a piece of parchment which looked like it had been previously rolled up. I took a minute to read it, hoping that it would be something good. What I saw though, left me both disturbed and somewhat annoyed.  
  
 _So the fucking Hightowers wanted to marry Ceryse to Aenys, but Aegon turned them down. Instead, he's betrothed Aenys to Alyssa. Fuck damn, looks like canon's finally beginning to play out. Looks like in OTL Maegor was the second choice to the Hightowers, those power hungry bastards. But I ain't as foolish as canon Maegor and I'm sure as hell not marrying an old Hightower hag 10 years my elder. Time to start rolling the damn snowball, till it gets big and round. And then send it rolling down the hill and crush the Faith, Maesters, and Hightowers. All in one swift motion.(3)_  
  
"So what will be our response to this Hightower plot mother? I hope you have no intention of betrothing me to that Hightower hag, because I'd sooner renounce my right to succession than marry her!" I proclaimed confidently, knowing that mother would never let me marry a girl unless she was a pureblood Valyrian maiden with the beauty of a goddess.  
  
"Of course not Maegor. You will not be marrying her or any other Westerosi maiden, regardless of what Aegon says or orders. I've already begun searching in for a suitable bride in Lys. If the Hightowers or any other house propose a betrothal with you, I will try to delay it as long as possible. Meanwhile, you are wait to wait for my signal. If the signal is given then you are to fly to Lys immediately and stay there till you've found a suitable bride. Do you understand me?"  
  
"Yes mother." I nodded twice before another thought came to my mind, one both wonderful and terrible in equal parts. "Let's say the Hightowers do propose and you give the signal. What would happen if father found out? Would he remove me from the line of succession? And what if I were to take more than one wife? What would we do then?"  
  
"I've considered the possibility of Aegon removing you from the line of succession and it's low enough to not be a concern. As for taking more than one wife, I would only agree if they were from the same family, because being married to two powerful merchant families will have terrible consequences. Do you have any more questions Maegor?"  
  
"Yes mother, I have one more question. Why are you so insistent that I marry a Valyrian girl? I mean, I would be perfectly content with marrying a Valyrian girl but just out of curiosity, are there any other reasons why you want me to marry a Valyrian girl." I was slightly puzzled by Visenya insistence on marrying a girl of Valyrian blood, though I figured it was probably just for blood purity or something similarly trivial.(4)  
  
"I will tell you everything in time, Maegor. Now go change into some clean clothes and the come back here. We'll be starting your first formal lesson in sorcery today."  
  
"Wait, is this for real?" I could hardly believe my ears. Visenya Targaryen, one of House Targaryen's most powerful users of magic and arguably the last Targaryen to know the true extent of Valyrian sorcery was going to teach me how to wield magic. My eyes widened as I stared at her for a few seconds, still unsure if she was serious or not.(5)  
  
"Yes, I will be teaching you sorcery today. Now hurry up and get changed, because we haven't got all day Maegor." Her sharp reply snapped me out of my thoughts and thrust me back into reality. I bowed my head briefly, before heading out the door and closing it on the way out.  
  
 _Holy fucking shit! Visenya is going to teach me MAGIC. Real Valyrian magic, the same kind used by the dragonlords and sorcerer princes of Old Valyria._ I could hardly contain my excitement as I raced through the corridors and up the staircases towards my room.  
 _Valyrian superpowers, here I come!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes:  
> 1\. In canon, it never said anything about Maegor being good at archery, so ITTL this is his weakness.
> 
> 2\. As I promised, Bloodfyre will actually take time to grow. He'll be operational (able to flying with Maegor) in 22 AC. This means he took 2 years to reach a point where Maegor can ride him.
> 
> 3\. IMHO the Hightowers probably tried to marry Ceryse off to Aenys first but they got rejected by Aegon, who wanted a Velaryon for his favourite son. Unfortunately that means Maegor is their next target.
> 
> 4\. Si!Maegor asks the question. But Visenya shrugs it off. I wonder why....
> 
> 5\. Maegor the Mage: "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!"
> 
> Team Maegor is being assembled, piece by piece. Long live Maegor of House Targaryen, Prince of Dragonstone!
> 
> Comments and questions are always welcome!  
> Feel free to point out any spelling or grammar mistakes. I try to catch them all, but for some reason there are always a couple that manage to slip through.  
> Chapter 7 will show up next week. The weekly update schedule is finally coming together. :)  
> -Black Dragon


	9. Bloodfyre, Business, and Betrothal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SI!Maegor goes dragonriding for the first time, plans the expansion of his enterprise, and get told that he's been betrothed.

**A/N: High Valyrian is in Red. All images belong to their respective owners. Just doing some nonprofit fan-fiction here.**

**Dragonstone Castle, Dragonstone Island**

**21 AC**

**The Twentieth day of the Fourth Moon**

"Do you understand how this spell works now Maegor?"

"Yes mother." Visenya and I were sitting at the desk in her solar, as we finished up my daily lesson in Valyrian sorcery. Today's lesson was particularly difficult and the spell only worked after a dozen failed attempts. Yet my mother never lost her patience, maneuvering me through every verse, and explaining my every mistake in a calm, gentle tone. I thanked my lucky stars that Maegor had a patient and loving mother, who made sure that her son received the best. Visenya was pretty much the Targaryen definition of a single mother, for I had not seen nor heard from Aegon the Conqueror since I arrived in Maegor's body that fateful day.

_Some father he is, this Aegon. No friendly visits to see how I'm doing, no gifts on my nameday, not even a single damn raven message. All that effort wasted on a weak, indecisive fool who couldn't even summon the backbone to call his banners. Too bad he can't even see that he's spoiling Aenys and neglecting the one person who had the strength and ability to protect House Targaryen against the Faith._

"Then demonstrate what you have learned today. Light the candle on your own." ordered my mother. I took a deep breath, letting my worries flow away with my exhale and began speaking the enchantment which would interpret my thoughts. As I articulated the many verses of High Valyrian, the tip of the dragonglass candle began to shine and sparkle. A glowing scarlet mist seeped out of the tip, forming itself into an empty circle above the candle. The hint of a smile formed at the corner of my mother's mouth as she watched the glowing red mist light up her solar. I looked to her for encouragement and her smile widened ever so slightly, proud of my achievements. When I finished the verse, the glowing crimson circle had finished forming and the previously empty center seemed to be filled with some sort of murky black liquid suspended in the air.

"Good. Now see if you can move the view over to King's Landing, right above the Aegonfort." I closed my eyes and focused my mind on the Aegonfort, a primitive fort made of mud and wood that would be torn down in 14 years to make way for the Red Keep. Or at least it was supposed to happen before I took up residence in Maegor's body. Ignoring the thought, I reached deep into Maegor's memories. Images of Visenya and Vhagar soaring amid the clouds surfaced, the memory of a dragon ride Maegor had when he was young. I felt the currents of magic above me swirl and shift, arcane powers responding to the beck and call of my thoughts.

When I opened my eyes a few seconds later, the scarlet mist had conjured an image of the Aegonfort from a bird's eye view. The colors were vibrant and using the techniques that my mother had taught me, I made several hand gestures that zoomed the image closer to the Aegonfort. After a few more zooms, I could see each and every person in the Aegonfort's courtyard as they went about their daily tasks. A particular individual caught my attention and I focus the image on him. Upon closer inspection, I could see that the individual was a man with shoulder length silver-gold hair dressed in training gear and he was wielding a sword against an opponent who wore the shining white armor of a Kingsguard. Greatly interested, I watched as the man fought the Kingsguard, though it was clear who would win. A single strong blow and the Kingsguard knocked the man down, revealing his face.

_Wait a sec... is that... Aenys?!?!_

I studied the figure's face intently, matching up all of his features with descriptions of Aenys I had read. The fact that he lost so quickly to a Kingsguard didn't even surprise me, for it was stated in Fire & Blood that he was decently trained but lacked the will to match his abilities. After a few seconds of observations and comparisons, I came to the conclusion that the figure getting up and dusting himself off was indeed Aenys Targaryen, son of Rhaenys and Aegon, my older half-brother and Crown Prince. Just then, a thought came to my mind and the words were out of my mouth before I knew it.

"Mother, isn't Aenys getting married in 3 months?"

"Yes, but it's 4 months and 6 days, not 3 months. Speaking of which, we'd best begin preparing our gifts to the bride and groom." She paused, almost lost in thought before she smiled and gave me another challenge. "Now, see if you can shift your view over King's Landing."

Concentrating, I conjured up the thought of King's Landing in my mind and the image projected by the glass candle shifted accordingly. King's Landing was definitely not as big expected, probably because it was only 21 AC. The capital had yet to surpass White Harbor and Gulltown in terms of population, but the stinking sprawl was already starting to take shape. I saw manses, arbors, granaries, brick storehouses, timbered inns, merchant stalls, taverns, graveyards and brothels as I waved my hand over the circular image, slowly rotating the view every couple seconds. There were dozens of quays at harbor on the Blackwater Rush, with a bustling fish market beside it. The docks were outside of the half-finished city walls, for construction had only just begun last year.

_Seven fucking gates, all because of some stupid star with 7 points. Bunch of corrupt old bastards taking advantage of the people's superstition to gyp them out of their hard earned coin. Except all their gods are phony wood carvings that did fuck all for their worshipers. If I can summon flames from my blood, tame a wild dragon, and heal my wounds with a simple whisper... What does that make me? A living god?_

"Alright, extinguish the candle Maegor." ordered Visenya, snapping me out of my thoughts. "When you're done, go and put on your newest set of riding leathers. Meet me in the courtyard when you're ready." With that, my mother got up and walked over to the shelf, where she opened a small box. Turning my attention back to the candle, I waved my hand over the image while reciting the spell. In an instant the image and the glowing crimson mist dissipated into thin air, leaving absolutely no traces of its presence. Getting up, I bowed to my mother before leaving her solar, making sure to close the door on the way out.

After returning to my chambers, I quickly changed into my newest set of riding leathers, which were tougher and sturdier compared to my other ones. Clad in black leather riding boots and black leather pants, I had a black leather coat over my red tunic and a pair of black sharkskin gloves were stuffed in my coat pocket along with a riding whip attached to my belt. After checking to see if my attire was in order, I ran through the hallways and down the stairs, racing to the courtyard. As I ran through the doorway that led to the courtyard I was faced with the biggest surprise gift I had ever received in my entire life, including my old life. Bloodfyre and Vhagar stood before me as servants affixed saddles on their backs and reins on their horns, while my mother watched over the process, making sure that they got every step right. I ran over to my mother once she noticed me standing in the doorway to the courtyard, a look of joyous surprise on my face. She smiled back, before checking her Vhagar's saddle and then mounted her she-dragon, whose light bronze scales shone in the afternoon sun.

"Mother... What's going on?" I asked, still somewhat surprised that those boring theoretical lessons, which Visenya called "necessary preparations" for actual dragonriding, were finally over. Finally. My first flight. And Bloodfyre's first flight with me as well.

"Have you forgotten what day it is Maegor?" she asked, a warm smile on her face as I ran towards Bloodfyre. He lowered his neck to let me aboard and I jumped up, grabbing hold of the saddle and hauling myself up without any help from the nearby servants. My dragon made a rumbling noise in his throat as I rubbed his neck, probably as excited as I was for the first flight. In my old life, I had traveled on aircraft before, but it was nothing compared to what I was about to do.

"Not yet mother," I replied. "So where are we going today?"

"It's called a surprise for a reason, dearest." She smiled at me before checking her saddle chains. Intrigued, I pondered what my mother had in store for me and what riding a one person AC 130 gunship would feel like, except the AC 130 gunship was a living, fire-breathing, winged death lizard that could burn entire armies to ash in a matter of seconds. The blood was racing through my veins as I grabbed the reins with both hands. That's when the full force of the realization hit me. Today was Maegor's 10th birthday, which meant I had already lived in Westeros for almost 2 years.

_Holy shit does time fly. I've already spent two whole years in this world. TWO WHOLE YEARS. Damn. Better go check my master plan, see what I've accomplished in these past 2 years._

"Is everything alright Maegor? You were looking a bit strange for a few moments."Visenya asked, a quizzical look on her face while Vhagar snorted impatiently. I could see that she was eager to take flight once more, though I was certain that Bloodfyre was even more eager from his rapidly increasing body temperature.

"Everything's fine mother. I just... thought of the perfect wedding gift for Aenys." I fibbed, with absolutely no clue what even counted as a wedding gift in House Targaryen terms. Oops. I really should find a better time to plan all this instead of now. After affixing my saddle chains the same way that Visenya had taught me, I took a deep breath before speaking the command in High Valyrian that would mark the beginning of my dragonriding.

"Sōvēs." I cried out, feeling Bloodfyre shift beneath me as he began to run, gaining speed with every step.(1)

Wings flapping, my dragon leapt into the air with his hind legs, soaring higher and higher as he followed Vhagar into the clear blue sky. My mother gestured for me to follow her and I obeyed, using the reins to steer Bloodfyre in the same direction. We climbed higher and higher into the sky until the people in the courtyard looked like ants crawling around a massive black anthill. Visenya turned towards the west and I followed, Bloodfyre flapping his wings with all his might as he tried to keep pace with Vhagar. The cold, crisp air buffeted my face, eyes squinted in discomfort. At such a high altitude, I could see the island of Dragonstone, with its neighbor Driftmark to the west, and the dark pine forests of Crackclaw Point to the north.

_What I would give for a scarf, a balaclava and a pair of flying goggles right now. This must be some sort of divine joke in response to my childish fantasies about the sky being warmer_

For the corner of my eye, I noticed Vhagar slowing down, dropping back until she was almost perpendicular to Bloodfyre and myself. Visenya turned towards me and pointed towards Driftmark before Vhagar began to dive sharply; descending through the clouds. The message was as clear as the sky. We were to land at Driftmark, where my mother presumably had business with her cousin Aethan Velaryon, Lord of the Tides, Master of Ships, and Grand Admiral of the Royal Fleet. I patted Bloodfyre's neck gently before hollering the command in High Valyrian, the sound of my voice lost in swirling winds. Regardless, my dragon instantaneously understood my intentions through our unique connection, letting out a loud roar in response. Diving sharply, he followed Vhagar's path while I hung on tightly.

The icy wind whipped against my face; daggers clawing at my unprotected flesh. I tried to see how far we were from Driftmark but the harsh winds forced my eyes shut. I trusted Bloodfyre to fly on his own; he'd already been flying for two years, so I figured that my presence wasn't really much of a difference for him. I felt the air warm up as we descended through the puffy white clouds. The wild winds began to calm and I opened my eyes enough to see a white sand beach; one of the many that lined the shores of Driftmark. I pulled back on the reins gently; Bloodfyre gradually pulled out of his dive in response to my subtle command until he was almost parallel with the ground.

"Paez ilagon Bloodfyre," I yelled, my voice quickly drowned out by the whistling wind. "Īlon're bē konīr!"

He obeyed without question, extending his wings to prepare for his landing approach. The air caught in his wings acted like a sort of parachute, slowing him down rapidly while increasing lift. Bloodfyre beat his wings harder than ever during his descent, trying to execute the perfect vertical landing. Talons extended, he carefully dropped onto the white sands with a resounding thump that I could clearly feel from my saddle. Vhagar and my mother were but a couple hundred feet to our right. I undid my saddle chains and slid down Bloodfyre's lowered back. Turning to my dragon, I ran a hand across his neck, his black and red scales glistened in the noonday sun like dragonglass and rubies.

"That was even better than I imagined boy," I gave him a pat on the head before pressing my frozen face to his neck, feeling his body heat flow into my stiff, frozen cheeks. "You're the best dragon any dragonlord could have asked for Bloodfyre. Now stay here while I see what business mother has with Uncle Aethan." I gave him one last pat before I left to find Visenya; Bloodfyre made no sound but his brilliant scarlet eyes spoke volumes. I found my mother speaking with a tall man of Valyrian stock whilst they stood amid the sandy dunes and I assumed the man to be Lord Aethan Velaryon. Standing some ways away, I did not approach them until Lord Velaryon noticed me watching them. He beckoned me to come forth and I complied, taking a place beside my mother.

"A pleasure to meet you, Lord Velaryon." I said, in the most princely voice I could summon in that moment.

"It's wonderful to see you again nephew." he said, while a smile formed on his face. "As I told your mother, it's been quite a long time since I've seen you Maegor. Two years I believe... or was that three."

"I'm not sure I remember my lord. It has been a long time after all." Lord Velaryon laughed in response while the ghost of a smile appeared on Visenya's mouth.

"I'm sure that my son would love to stay here and talk some more with you Aethan, but we really have to be getting back." Only then did I notice that the sun had begun setting, the excitement of my first solo flight making me lose track of time. Seems like the airspeed of a dragon is slower than I imagined... Or the distance between Dragonstone and Driftmark is greater than I imagined. _Too bad I couldn't bring any maps from that website with me; the scale alone would be so useful in this undeveloped world._

"Just make sure to come visit more often cousin." Lord Aethan smiled as Visenya and I made our exit, each of us heading to our respective dragons. I waved to Lord Velaryon after I boarded Bloodfyre and fastened my saddle chains. He waved back and then made his way to his horse, which stood waiting for him at the bottom of the hilly dunes. It was previously hidden from me when I spoke with Lord Velaryon, but I now was able to see it clearly from the vantage point of my saddle. Grasping the reins, I turned around and called out the necessary command to my dragon.

"Sōvēs." Bloodfyre made a running start before leaping into the air, beating his wings as he rose into the sky. Vhagar and my mother were up ahead, having gotten a head start already. Already my 2nd flight felt different from my first. It was as if I was becoming accustomed to dragonriding already; my body and mind was adapting itself to the concept of dragonriding. By the time we returned to Dragonstone the sun was already disappearing into the horizon, filling the sky with a wonderful purple color. 

_You're not a true Targaryen dragonlord until you start flinging fireballs and riding dragons, the wise men said. Looks like I've finally become a true Targaryen, though I've still got a long way to go in terms of sorcery._

After we landed, I undid my saddle chains and climbed off my dragon. Bloodfyre snorted lightly before he curled up beside one of the walls, getting ready for bed already. I smiled at the sight, knowing that a good night's sleep was essential to his performance tomorrow. Just as I was about to head to my own chambers, a servant approached me.

"My Prince, the Queen requests your presence in her solar."

"Tell her I will be there at once, after I've changed into some more appropriate clothes." The servant bowed and left, leaving me wondering what my mother was planning. I hurried to my chambers to change into more princely garments, which consisted of a black and red doublet, black trousers, and black leather boots, one of the many outfits I had the servants organize in preparation for situations of this sort. After arriving at my mother's chambers in Sea Dragon Tower, I noticed that the door was slightly ajar. I chose to be cautious and knocked on the door.

"Come in Maegor. I'm just having dinner brought up for us." I walked in and sure enough there were 2 servants setting up dinner for Visenya and I. It was an impressive meal, honey roast duck and peppered boar being the main course, beef and barley soup, white beans with bacon, squash and sweetcorn, buttered carrots, crusty bread fresh from the ovens, lemon cakes for dessert, and a pitcher of Arbor Gold for my mother while I had a pitcher of mead. A truly magnificent feast for the eyes (and the stomach), one of the many benefits of being a Targaryen prince; Crown Prince or not. I picked up my two pronged fork and table knife before waiting for my mother to begin eating before I started, a basic courtesy that I observed even in my past life. The meal was quite filling and by the time we were finished, the sky outside the window to my mother's solar was pitch black. Wiping off my mouth with a special cloth, I watched as the servants filed into the room to remove the dishes, many of which still contained food. But I knew that this food was not going to waste because it would be given to the poor, a tradition started by my late aunt Queen Rhaenys and one that was continued by my mother.

"I hope you realize that I didn't just summon you here to have dinner Maegor, for you seem quite tired tonight."

"I am perfectly fine mother and I assure you that I will not fall asleep while we are having a conversation."

"Good, because what I am about to say is very important." I nodded in response, listening intently. "Lord Velaryon has just made an offer to me regarding the dragonglass business. The use of his ships for a portion of the profit."

"Considering that we're already using a captain who's sworn to House Velaryon, I don't see why not mother. His Grace will probably find out about the dragonglass soon enough anyway, considering that we've managed to keep it hidden for long enough. It's about time we expand this portion of the business anyway. So how much is he asking for?"

"An eighth of our profits. And Maegor, you should refer to Aegon as your father, not His Grace. You're his son, not some lordling whose he's never met."

"How many times has he come to visit me then? How many ravens has he sent? It's my nameday and I don't even get a visit. He's visited the High Septon in Oldtown more times than he's visited me!" In that instant, Visenya's eyes filled with fury and I knew I had gone too far. But the purple fire swiftly faded and her usual expression returned once more.

"Your father is King of the Seven Kingdoms Maegor. I'm sure he wants to visit you but he just never has the time to do so. The realm's problems do not resolve themselves voluntarily. And make sure you always refer to him as 'father' when you speak to him in person."

"Yes mother. However, I cannot fail to notice that he spends plenty of time with my brother."

"Your brother is Crown Prince and heir to the Seven Kingdoms. It is expected of him to learn from his father, so he may be prepared to take over the realm." I let out a sigh, weighed down with meta-knowledge I could not tell my mother lest she begin to suspect something about the incident.

"So what am I to father then? A _bargaining tool_ to unite the Crown and Faith?" My mother's eyes narrowed instantly, a clear sign that something was very wrong.

"Who told you that Maegor?" I gulped, realizing that the words were out of my mouth before I could ponder their effect. _Too late for that anyway. Guess I just have to spit out the truth and hope for the best._

"I overheard some of the servants chatting about a marriage to unite the Crown and Faith. Who else could it be about?"

"Then someone has been talking far too much. Regardless, I have my own plans for you, dearest." My eyes widened in surprise. It seems that my mother remained one step ahead of our enemies; the dragoness never sleeps even when her eyes are closed. "I have found a suitable Valyrian bride for you Maegor. Her name is Jaella Veltereon, heiress to House Veltereon." She paused, giving me time to process this influx of information. "Now what do you remember about House Veltereon Maegor?"

"They're a powerful merchant family in Lys, with a large fleet,their own shipyards, and significant holdings in the mainland portion of Lys. I also recall something about them being descendants of dragonriders, the ones who had survived the Doom by virtue of being in Lys."

"Correct. Jaella has already proven the purity of her dragonblood when we last spoke through our glass candles. She also has the makings of a great sorceress and alchemist, a true credit to her ancestors. Though she's freshly flowered, there are many in Lys and beyond who already consider her to be a great beauty, if not the loveliest beauty in all of Lys."

"I presume she has had to turn down a large number of suitors then?"

"Indeed Maegor. Her father Aemar has long been a friend of our family, ever since he reached out to your father during the Volantene invasion of Lys. It was his ships who first spotted the Volantene fleet and gave the alarm., which allowed your father enough time to mount Balerion and burn the Volantene ships to ash."

"Interesting. So how old is my intended?"

"Four years your elder. The betrothal has already been done and sealed, in fire and blood. You will be marrying her once you are four and ten regardless of what your father wants or says, for I have no wish to see a child of mine married to the niece of that fat old fool who thinks his gods are the only ones that exist."

It was with those few words that I realized what my mother had done. The wheels of fortune were spinning faster than a hamster on a wheel and everything I knew about Maegor Targaryen in ASOIAF canon had been completely overturned. Overthrown. Cast into disarray.

"So what gods does my betrothed and her family worship then? Pantera? Yndros? Saagael?" I hoped that she wasn't like Larra Rogare because it would be pretty awkward to watch her and her servants perform obeisances to weird cat gods at certain times every day of the year.

"No, House Veltereon worships the same gods as we do Maegor. The gods and goddesses of Valyria." She looked turned around and looked out her window at the pitch black sky.

"I think I've told you enough for today Maegor. We'll continue your training in dragonriding tomorrow. And remember that what we've discussed here cannot be revealed to anyone regardless of who they are. This information I've told you is only to be known by you and myself. Do you understand?"

"Yes mother. This information shall only be known between the two of us. No one else." I was hoping that my mother couldn't see the panic that was beginning to rise with me.

"Good. Now off to bed." I nodded at my mother before leaving her solar, making sure to close the door on the way out. Hurrying through the corridors and stairs, I reached my chambers in record time. After locking the door, I grabbed a piece of parchment and started scribbling furiously. Maegor's canon fate had just been thrown out the window and I was paralyzed with confusion. None of what I knew about Maegor mattered anymore. I had my doubts when I hatched Bloodfyre, but this latest change had thrown all my plans into complete disarray. I was expecting more time to prepare for the coming storm and now my mother's announcement had given me a deadline of 4 years.

_And so the great game continues. Except I have a deadline, a betrothed, and a squad of evil Hightowers who want me to marry a barren old hag. At least I can fly away on Bloodfyre if shit does go the wrong way_. I sighed as I slid into bed, having just changed into my nightclothes. _Just another normal day in the life of Maegor Targaryen, Prince of Dragonstone. May Balerion bless my future with victory and success, because I'm sure going to need the help._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes:  
> 1\. Sōvēs is Valyrian for fly.
> 
> 2\. Paez ilagon is Valyrian for slow down.
> 
> 3\. Īlon're bē konīr is Valyrian for we're almost there.
> 
> So yeah. Chapter 7 is FINALLY here. I apologize profusely for the awfully long gap in chapters, but my other ASOIAF stories "Key to my Heart" and "Sex and Violence" had occupied my attention for quite a while during the summer. And university has not been kind to me in terms of workload. Regardless of all that, here we are. SI!Maegor is now 10 years in Planetos and already things are changing faster than he can anticipate. Next chapter (chapter 8) features the wedding of his brother Aenys and his cousin Alyssa.
> 
> Comments and questions are always welcome! This is the fuel that keeps my fingers typing!  
> Feel free to point out any spelling or grammar mistakes. I try to catch them all, but for some reason there are always a couple that manage to slip through my patrols.  
> No guarantees about Chapter 8, but it's already on the writing board. :)  
> -Black Dragon


	10. The Dragon and the Seahorse

**Dragonstone Castle, Dragonstone Island  
22 AC  
The Twenty-Fifth day of the Eighth Moon **  
  
"Edwyn, has the zorse arrived in King's Landing yet?"  
  
"Yes it has Maegor. A raven came late last night from King's Landing. Pete confirms the zorse's arrival aboard the _Lady Rhaela_ and made sure that it was stabled before he went to sleep." I sighed in relief. Everything was going as planned now that the zorse had arrived. The necklace set was already packed up in a sturdy ironwood case that sat in the courtyard, ready for transportation aboard Bloodfyre.  
  
"Excellent. And Edwyn, give Pete this bag of dragons when you see him tonight. I fear that I shall have no time to talk to him on my own, for my mother wishes me to meet the great lords of the realm." My close friend nodded once before taking the bag of gold dragons from me. "Tell him to meet me the afternoon of the day after tomorrow, on the eastern walls of the Aegonfort. Have him bring the cypher as well. I want to see the progress he's made over the past two weeks."  
  
"It will be done Maegor." Edwyn made a short bow before leaving my chambers, closing the door on his way out. With everything on my agenda finished, I walked over to my shelf to fetch my glass candle. I placed the twisted dragonglass column on my desk and cleared off everything else. Books, scrolls, tomes, and parchment that previously cluttered my desk were returned to their proper places on my shelves, with the few books and scrolls from the library piled off to one side of my desk. My fiancée had sent me quite a few books and scrolls on sorcery since our first conversation through our glass candles. The shelves in my room that once stood bare and naked were now decorated with ancient Valyrian tomes on blood magic, pyromagics, and even a few books on dragons that could not be found in the Dragonstone library.(1)  
  
With my desk cleared of it's usual clutter, I sat down on my mahogany chair. A whisper of High Valyrian and a wave of my right hand brought my glass candle to life, the circle of scarlet mist forming above the candle. Within a few moments, the black murky liquid that filled the misty circle shifted into the image of a teenage Valyrian girl; Lady Jaella of House Veltereon. Today she wore a simple yet elegant sleeveless white dress that revealed much of her ample cleavage; beauty in simplicity. Her right arm was adorned with a platinum spiral bracelet in the shape of a dragon and a platinum gemstone necklace hung around her neck, the amethyst making her lavender eyes all the more striking. Part of her long platinum hair was entwined in a crown braid while the rest of it cascaded down her neck until it reached her shoulders. The fine features of her face looked inhumanly beautiful; a Valyrian goddess come to life. She wore a light coat of makeup that enhanced her already exquisite features while maintaining a natural appearance.  
  
"It's not even noon and you've already contacted me," Jaella noted. "Miss me, Maegor?" Her seductive tone made me blush, my face turning a shade more red than it had been before.  
  
"Well... I guess you could say that Jaella." I paused, trying to think of a way to redirect the conversation. "Guess where I have to go tomorrow?"  
  
"King's Landing? You did mention last week that your half-brother was going to be married tomorrow."  
  
"You remembered?"  
  
"Of course. I had to make plans for my evenings without you." She pouted while I sighed deeply, for I had come to enjoy my evening discussions with Jaella where she would teach me the Lyseni dialect of Low Valyrian, trade knowledge about different spells, rituals, and potions that we had come upon in our research and just get to know each other better before our marriage. The memory of my first meeting with her came to mind, where I chose to introduce myself in High Valyrian as Maegor of House Targaryen, Prince of Dragonstone. Which prompted spontaneous laughter from Jaella, leaving me extremely confused as to what I had done wrong.  
  
"It's the way you speak," she had explained, telling me that I was speaking High Valyrian like how a legionary officer would report the aftermath of a battle to his dragonlord commander.  
  
"You sound far too stiff and formal, Prince Maegor. High Valyrian is supposed to be a flowing tongue, like a smooth Lyseni white. Not the stiff inflexible tongue of Valyrian steel that you've spoken." Jaella had dedicated herself to improving the flow of my High Valyrian ever since, and after a month I could almost speak it as well as she did, though there was still a trace of that stiffness. Even my mother noticed the changes in my High Valyrian when she instructed me in the arcane in the intervening months between my first flight and today, commenting that I was speaking like a Lyseni. It wasn't a bad thing at all, she said to me once, considering that I was to wed Jaella in a few years. That was when I had told her about my meetings with Jaella, which did not surprise her at all.  
  
"Why do you think I taught you how to use a glass candle first Maegor?" I could almost see my my mother's smile as I remembered our conversation. "You and Jaella should get to know each other very well before your marriage, for familiarity is the key to intimacy." I chuckled at those fond memories, before Jaella's voice snapped me out of my daydream and thrust me back into reality.  
  
"Did you even hear what I just said?"  
  
"Uhhh... No. I was just remembering our first meeting, Jaella."  
  
"Now is not the time to be daydreaming Maegor. Dragonstone isn't just going to make itself, you know."  
  
"Sorry." She rolled her eyes in mock annoyance, before taking a look at something on her desk.  
  
"Now as I was saying, what have you tried in your experiments?"  
  
"I've tried goat blood, pig blood, and cow blood. None of them worked. Though the stone turned black, it still shattered after Edwyn hit it with a hammer."  
  
"Alright, try it using this spell then..."  
  
  
 **1 Hour Later**  
  
  
"Alright, that should be it. Anything else you'd like to discuss?"  
  
"Oh yes, I just completed the experiment involving Valyrian steel with Edwyn's help."  
  
"And? What happened? What was the outcome?"  
  
"A partial success. Heartstriker was able to cut through a sword made of iron with ease, but I wasn't able to slice through the steel sword.  
  
"Excellent. Try heating up the dagger for one more minute. See if that helps against the steel." She paused for a moment, noting down my partial success with her quill. "Were there any side effects after the experiment?"  
  
"Just a little bit of dizziness after holding the dagger over my blood fueled fire. Nothing a meal and a nap couldn't solve."  
  
"You should be more careful Maegor. It's your lifeblood that is being burnt up right here." I nodded in response before looking outside at the window. It's almost time to leave for King's Landing.  
  
"So how's your sister and father?"  
  
"They're both fine. Though Jaenara's been dying for a chance to meet you."  
  
"Oh, is that so?"  
  
"She wants to spar with you; see what you're made of. Make sure your a worthy husband for me." Jaella winked when she said the last part. I chuckled in response.  
  
"Then I will make sure not to disappoint when we have our duel." A knocking on my door signaled the end of our conversation. "I really wish we could do this all day, but I have to leave for King's Landing now Jaella."  
  
"It's alright. We'll see each other again in a few days. Go safely Maegor." She ended the conversation by blowing me a kiss, just as she always did. Her image began to fade as I waved my hand briefly, before speaking the closing spell. I got up and walked over to the door, where a servant informed me that it was time to leave. Fortunately, I had already put on my dragonriding leathers, so I only had to put away my glass candle before I could leave. Grabbing my black woolen balaclava, whip, and leather gloves, I checked the lock on the large ironwood chest one last time before heading out the door, making sure to lock it. I ran down the stairs and through the halls until I passed the arch into the courtyard. Visenya was already in the process of mounting Vhagar, so I pulled the balaclava over my head, put on my gloves and hopped aboard Bloodfyre, who gave a happy growl as I mounted him. Reaching down, I attached the saddle chains before turning around to make sure the small chest containing the necklace set was secure. _Pre-flight check complete. Black 2 ready for takeoff.(2)_  
  
My mother turned around and gave me a thumbs up before she spurred Vhagar forward with the lightest touch of her whip. The great bronze she-dragon began flapping her wings before leaping into the air, flying higher and higher before she changed into horizontal flight. I gave Bloodfyre a pat on the side and my dragon began to flap his wings as well, before leaping into the air after Vhagar. A simultaneous pat with both hands and Bloodfyre changed into horizontal flight, flapping his wings as well followed Vhagar towards King's Landing.  
  
Even though I had flown many times aboard Bloodfyre since our first flight all those months ago, the view still took my breath away every time I was up there. Dragonstone looked like a Lego castle and the people looked like Lego minifigures as the landscape of Crackclaw Point appeared to my left with its thick pine forests and dark caves. I could see the fishing boats off Dragonstone, sailing about as if they were toy boats in a bathtub. Admiring the beautiful virgin landscape below me, it dawned upon me that Bloodfyre had grown so much in the course of around 2 years. _I can still remember when he was just a hatchling, perched on my shoulder. Now he's bigger than a Kodiak bear, one eighth the size of Vhagar._  
  
As if in response to my thoughts, Bloodfyre let out a roar that pierced the quiet whistling of wind. I patted him on the head as we flew onward towards King's Landing. An hour of flying later, I could make out the outlines of a city below. It had curtain walls and a thriving port, for I counted dozens of ships docked in it's harbor. _That can't be King's Landing. The walls shouldn't finished yet at King's Landing. Hmmm... Therefore, it must be Duskendale. Looks like mother's using the road from Duskendale to King's Landing to guide us._  
  
We quickly passed Duskendale and it was some time for the sight of Castle Stokeworth, the seat of House Stokeworth. It was a stout square of a castle, with curtain walls and a central keep. _I wonder what Mother was feeling when she torched the roof during the Conquest. Lucky it was her and not me, because I would have torched more than the roof if someone loosed crossbow bolts at me._  
  
We quickly left Stokeworth behind, Bloodfyre and myself flying behind Vhagar and Visenya in a loose column. It was some time before the shape of Castle Rosby appeared before us, another castle made in the classic shape, though it was a little smaller than Castle Stokeworth. It was surrounded by a village made from wood and mud; wattle and daub it was called. There were tracts of fields surrounding the village, filled with farmers and their families hard at work. An idea entered my head just as Bloodfyre began to approach the fields. I gave Bloodfyre a light touch with my whip as I transmitted my thoughts through our mental connection. _Let's do a low flyover of the fields. I want to show those peasants the power of a Valyrian dragonlord._  
  
Bloodfyre obeyed instantly, diving down so enough to let me see each individual smallfolk in greater detail. Some of them paused to look up as I flew onward, though I spied a little boy among them who waved to me. I waved back as Bloodfyre flew over Castle Rosby, regaining his prior altitude now that the display was over. After Rosby, it was another boring stretch of forests, fields, villages, ponds, and streams before the sprawling mass of King's Landing appeared on the horizon. The city walls were evidently still under construction, given it's half finished stage. I could see the three Hills as well, the Hill of Rhaenys with it's Sept of Remembrance, Aegon's High Hill with it's disorganized sprawling mess made of wood and earth called the Aegonfort, and furthest away, my mother's hill with it's grand sept. _There should be a temple of dragonstone dedicated to Balerion and the deities of Valyria on my mother's hill, not some boring old sept made of marble. House Targaryen has truly lost it's way after so many years in Westeros. Fortunately me and Visenya still hold to our Valyrian roots, like how a dragonlord should behave instead of bowing down to these fucking backstabbing cowards whose High Septon isn't even that faithful himself. The Crone's advice to surrender Oldtown seems more like a cowardly old man who wants to keep enjoying his worldly pleasures instead of becoming a martyr for the Faith. Or they just planned to wait until someone weak like Aenys became king and then launch their Faith Militant uprising. Kick the Targaryens back to Dragonstone and then declare themselves rulers of the Seven Kingdoms. At least until the Ironborn sack Oldtown._  
  
I chuckled at the idea of Ironborn sacking Oldtown when an idea hit me. _If I remember correctly, Vickon Greyjoy forbade his people from reaving Westeros and let the Faith return to the Iron Isles, which pissed off many Ironborn. Since I'm going to live in Lys after I get married, I take the Stepstones as my fiefdom. The tolls from it alone would make me one of the richest men in the Known World and King of the Stepstones and Narrow Seas besides that. I can give the Ironborn lands and titles as my vassals in the Stepstones in exchange for their service, like the agreement between the Tsars and the Cossacks. They will get a portion of the tolls, have air superiority in the form of Bloodfyre, and be allowed to use the Stepstones as a base for their reaving expeditions in exchange for their eternal loyalty and service to me and my descendants. What a wonder plan. Goodbye pirates, hello Ironborn.(3)_  
  
I was still ruminating the idea while I guided Bloodfyre into the courtyard of the Aegonfort using the reins attached to his horns. I could see Balerion and Quicksilver sunning themselves in the courtyard as well, appearing exactly how they were described in the books. Balerion was huge, the smoke curling out his nostrils as he snoozed in the sun. _I can see why Maegor regarded Balerion as the only dragon worthy of him._  
  
Quicksilver looked like a small fluffy cloud compared to the massive black raincloud that was Balerion. As I undid my saddle chains and dismounted, I noticed something shocking. Bloodfyre was almost 3/4 the size of Quicksilver, despite being several years younger. I blinked, sure that it was just a trick of the light and not reality. Stepping back, I compared the two dragons once again. My eyes hadn't lied. Bloodfyre was almost 3/4 the size of Quicksilver although he was over 10 years younger. _Balerion's black bones, mother and Jaella weren't joking when they said that the bonding ritual had a significant positive effect on a dragon's growth speed, though Bloodfyre eats as befits his size. Even Vhagar doesn't eat that much and that often. Give it another 30-40 years and Bloodfyre might be as big as Balerion is now, though it's my grandchildren who will reap the real benefits of his increased size. Hope he isn't that ravenous by then, or the annual dragon food budget just might break my treasury._  
  
I watched as servants unloaded the chest containing the necklace set before taking off my balaclava and getting my hair into some sort of order. _At least I can blame the condition of my hair on the wind._ As I tried to get my hair back in order, I noticed a large group of people walking towards, led by two men with silver gold hair, one tall and one short. _King Aegon and Prince Aenys. My father and brother. Or at least that's what Mother told me to call them, because they don't really feel like my father or my brother. I mean seriously, what kind of father is Aegon if he hasn't sent a raven to me in 2 years, much less visited personally._  
  
Putting on my most princely expression, I walked over to my mother's side and bowed to my father and elder brother.  
  
"Father." I said before turning to Aenys. "Brother."  
  
"Maegor, you have grown so much since the last time I saw you." The tone of Aegon's voice wasn't right, because it felt forced, as if he was only saying it because Visenya was standing beside me. And he did not move to embrace me like my brother Aenys, who surprised me with a hug.  
  
"Brother, I'm so glad you could come for my wedding." He said as I awkwardly returned the hug. "It's nothing Aenys. The least I could do for my brother."  
  
The words had an odd taste in my mouth, like they didn't belong to me. I watched as Aegon and Visenya embraced each other as well, though it was far less awkward than me and my brother. When we broke out of the hug, Aegon and Visenya were still talking. Aenys struck up a conversation with me but it was basically just me answering his questions and asking a few of my own.  
  
"So how have you been Maegor?"  
  
"Good. Excited for your wedding?"  
  
"A bit nervous actually. I haven't even talked with Alyssa all that much before today."  
  
"You'll be fine. Just imagine she's one of the many maidens who doted upon you." A look of surprise crossed Aenys's face as we stood, watching our parents talk. The lilac shade of his eyes shone in the afternoon sun, far paler than my dark purple.  
  
"Wha... How do you know this?"  
  
"Your reputation precedes you, brother." I winked at him. He laughed in response.  
  
"I hope that is a good thing, Maegor. Speaking about reputation, I've heard a few things about yours as well. How you've been undefeated in the training yard, even against boys 2 or 3 years your elder."  
  
"Is that so, dear brother? You must know that all good storytellers exaggerate."  
  
"That's why I'd like to see the truth for myself, Maegor. Care for a little sparring?" I tensed up slightly. _History is changing for sure, because I'm pretty sure Maegor and Aenys never sparred. Oh well. I've beaten boys 3 years older than myself. My brother who's 5 years my elder shouldn't be an impossible task._  
  
"I don't see why not brother, especially considering that Father and Mother are locked in conversation." Aenys smiled at me as we walked to the storeroom where tourney armor and weapons were kept. Several servants and squires quickly fell in line behind us as we entered the storeroom to pick out our arms and armor. I had my eyes set on a suit of black armor of Valyrian design in the corner, which I recognized from the illustrations in some of the Valyrian scrolls and tomes I had read. The helmet was a virtual copy of the type worn by the Spartans, with it's signature eye holes and long slit that allowed for easier breathing than a full visor helmet. Breastplate, greaves, gauntlets, pteruges and pauldrons were also similar to what Alexios from Assassin's Creed Odyssey would have worn for battle, because Valyria was supposed to be a Greco-Roman analogy with dragons and magic. I turned around and watched Aenys pick out his arms, having already picked out his armor. It was a blunted tourney longsword and shield; a typical combination for a Westerosi knight. I turned around and grabbed a blunted bastard sword. If he was going to fight like a knight then my best bet was more maneuverability, reach, and hitting power. Otherwise, I was screwed, because Aenys had 5 more years of muscle and training to his credit.  
  
The squires helped us suit up while a small crowd of people began gathering around us. _The wedding of the Crown Prince is going to be attended by all the major lords of the realm. There isn't a better chance to show the realm what it means to be Valyrian, what it means to be Targaryen._ I nodded my thanks when a squire handed me my bastard sword, before getting up from the barrel I was sitting on. Another handed me my helmet, which I placed over my head. Aenys and I, fully armed and armored, walked into the empty circle that the crowd had created. Standing in front of Aenys, we touched swords before Aenys put down his visor.  
  
"I wish you good fortune Maegor, may the better dragon win."  
  
"I wish the same, brother. May victory go to the better of us." I dropped into a combat stance, left foot in front of my right, gripping the hilt with both hands as I leveled my sword at my brother. The duel was on.  
  
Aenys was the first one to attack, swinging his longsword at me in a diagonal slash which I blocked easily. _Hmm... His swings are lighter than I thought. Either he's weaker than I imagined or his one handed swings aren't so strong._ I countered with my own slash, which Aenys blocked with his shield. He aimed a stab at my abdomen, which I instantly parried. He swung at me again and again which I continued to parry as I retreated, giving ground with every step. Every one of his blows grew stronger and stronger, and I could feel the jarring impact of each blow that pushed me backwards. _FUCK! GOTTA HOLD MY GROUND!!!_ With a mighty cry, Aenys executed a downward swing at my head. Raising my sword, I blocked his swing as I sidestepped him, landing a blow on the back of his right thigh as I slipped past. The crowd gasped as Aenys cried out in pain, though he was still able to turn around and face me. The tunnel vision set in as my brain flicked on combat mode, tuning out of the cheers and shouting of the audience.  
  
Charging at me once more, he made another diagonal slash at me. I countered his blow with a hard parry and grabbed the blade with my armored gauntlet, half-sworded a thrust at Aenys's helm with my left hand on the blade as I lunged forward. He blocked the blow with his shield, but that was not the purpose of my attack. Quick as lightning, I grabbed the hilt again with my left and swung a hard blow at his right kneecap. My blunted blade struck true and impacted hard against his poleyn on his right leg. Aenys fell backwards onto ground as he let out a cry of pain, his right leg giving way. Seizing the opportunity, I advanced upon his prostrate form before the dust could settle and pressed the point of my tourney blade to his neck. Coughing, Aenys dropped his sword and lifted up his visor.  
  
"I...yield......brother." He coughed as the dust generated from his fall settled around him. Upon his surrender, I sheathed my sword and extended a helping hand to my defeated brother. He took it and I pulled him up, as the shouts and cheers of the crowd began to return. Suddenly, my armor started to grow heavy and hot on my body as the adrenaline left my veins. I took off my Valyrian helmet and turned around to the cheering crowd, who came forth to congratulate me on my victory. But the cheering disappeared as quickly as it had come, for a hush began to fall over the crowd. King Aegon and Queen Visenya strode towards me and Aenys, my father looking rather unhappy at Aenys's defeat whereas my mother held a slight smile on her face. Aegon went over to console his favorite son while Visenya walked over and kissed me on the forehead.  
  
"It is not so great an accomplishment, for your brother is no sword of renown, not even particularly skilled, but fighting men grown out to slay you is a different matter than a play fight with Rhaenys' son."  
  
She smiled, "Alas, I shall have to speak with your father about this. No doubt he will be torn between pride in your skill and his love for your brother."  
  
She rubbed my hair before leaving, while the squire removed my armor. My stomach growled. The two toasted ham and cheese sandwiches and vanilla milkshake had worn off. Grinning, I called for a servant to bring me food as dozens of young lordlings and maidens pushed through the crowd to meet me. _Oh boy, you win a damn play fight against your 15 year old brother and suddenly you're some sort of minor celebrity. Well, a dragon's gotta bask, whether it be in sunshine or glory._  
  
The rest of my day was a blur, full of meetings alongside my mother with the Lords Paramount of the Realm, the Lannisters, Tyrells, Tullys, Arryns, and Baratheons. Other powerful lords and ladies of the Realm. I can't say that I remembered all of them, but there were quite a few who made the meeting rather memorable. From the Reach, Lords Redwyne, Oakheart, and Tarly were the ones who made a last impression. Lord Kevan Redwyne was a personal friend of my mother, from her days before the Conquest. (4) Lord Alec Oakheart was one of the strongest supporters of my mother in the Reach, an alliance that dated back to the tragedy of the Dornish War.(5) Lord Stafford Tarly congratulated me on my victory and introduced me to his son and heir Samwell Tarly, the future Savage Sam, Slayer of the Dornish. Lord Tarly had requested a meeting in advance with my mother to discuss a matter of great importance, leaving me with Samwell for some time. We talked for a bit, from which I learned that he was 4 years my elder. I also learned the reason for Lord Tarly's meeting with my mother, though it brought me no joy. When I asked Samwell, he was hesitant to tell me.  
  
"It's not really that important, Prince Maegor, just a trivial detail." I had already guessed the identity of the trivial detail and I decided to test my theory, though I did so in a very quiet voice.  
  
"Perhaps, but even I wouldn't consider Dornish raiders to be a trivial detail." Samwell's mouth dropped open in surprise and he looked around carefully before turning to me.  
  
"How did you know?"  
  
"It's no secret that those Dornish bastards have been emboldened by their victory. My uncle Orys for example, has been plastered with petitions for assistance these past months." Samwell's brow furrowed after I finished, contemplating what to say next.  
  
"My father wants to stage a counterattack against the Dornish raiders and for that he needs the support of your mother and father, the King and Queen. Hence the meeting with your mother." I shook my head, knowing that Lord Tarly's persuasions were futile even though my mother would like nothing more than to render all of Dorne a desolate wasteland worthy of Old Ghis. Aegon was never going to attack Dorne, not after that strange letter which made him end the war.  
  
"You can tell your father that it's not my mother's decision to make, Lord Samwell. If my father does not wish to retaliate, then your father's plan has no hope of succeeding, even though my mother wants to burn Dorne to the ground and salt its fields." Samwell's eyes dulled with disappointment when I started my reply but his eyes were shining with hope by the end.  
  
"So there's still a chance?"  
  
"There's always a chance. Though if I recall correctly, Balerion and Vhagar are rather fond of Dornishmen." Samwell looked at me with a confused look on his face.  
  
"Unless dragons can talk I don't think they can tell you if they like Dornishmen or not." I laughed in response, which led Samwell to grow even more confused.  
  
"That look on your face, Lord Samwell!" I laughed again. "Balerion and Vhagar are very fond of Dornishmen because they apparently taste better than other men. It's an acquired taste they gained from the Dornish War." Once Samwell understood my joke he started laughing as well and I soon found myself with a new friend.  
  
Other lords and ladies of the realm also came to pay respect to my mother or to discuss important issues with her, among them Lords Ronnel Arryn. He was most kind in his praise and he exchanged many words with my mother, for they were good friends. I found Lady Arryn to be kind and friendly, as well as interesting, mainly because she was the only Stark present at the wedding. Apparently there was still quite a bit of bad blood between House Stark and Targaryen, a result of Torrhen's bloodless surrender to Aegon and her heavily protested marriage to Lord Ronnel. Despite that, she had grown to love him and they had a son and a daughter, named Osgood and Serena Arryn respectively, both of whom were older than me. They were both friendly and I found them to be rather curious, for they asked many questions about my dragon and I was able to ride him.  
  
After the Arryns and the lords of the Vale come the Lannisters and the lords of the Westerlands, none of which I really cared much about. Lord Loren Lannister was rather humble for a Lannister, mostly because my parents had chosen to spare his life after the Field of Fire. When all the Westernmen left, the void they left was filled by the lords of the Stormlands, my uncle Lord Orys Baratheon, his wife Lady Argella Baratheon and their son and heir Davos among them. Uncle Orys was a whirlwind of praise and delight, heartily congratulating me on my victory as he rubbed my hair with his left hand; the only hand he had left. I found Lady Argella to be more bold and talkative than Lady Arryn, whether it was because of the blood of the Storm Kings I did not know. Davos Baratheon was almost my age, only two years my elder and I found him to be like both his mother and father, a very likeable person. Uncle Orys and Aunt Argella spoke with my mother for some time, probably about the Dornish raiders while I chatted amicably with Davos about different things.  
  
From the Crownlands there were Lords Alan Celtigar, Boros Brune (of Brownhollow), Bennard Brune (of Dyre Den), Duncan Darklyn, Steffon Stokeworth, and of course Lord Aethan Velaryon, along with their wives and children. They were the people I recognized among the dozens of lords and knights that attended, either because they had visited Dragonstone at some point to speak with my mother or because we visited them. Curiously, I noted that there were no Ironborn lords at the wedding and there were no Northmen as well. The Ironborn's absence could be easily explained by their hatred of Aegon for killing Harren, conquering their empire in the riverlands, and then forbidding them from raiding Westeros. The absence of the North though, did not sit well with me. _Do the Northmen hate my parents that much? The marriage of Lady Serena Stark to Lord Ronnel Arryn was a success in the end, yet the North is still not reconciled with us. Oh well. If the Northmen want to freeze in their icy hellhole, so be it._  
  
When the day was over and the lords had left, I found myself rather tired from all the introductions and my duel with Aenys. After a rather quiet dinner (compared to the preceding events) with my family, I went to my chambers and fell asleep almost immediately.  
  
The next day, the day of the wedding itself, proved to be a rather boring affair with the septon from the Sept of Remembrance officiating the whole thing in his stupid monotone voice. Only good part about the morning was that I had an excuse to put on a suit of my finest clothes, which were delivered to the Aegonfort ahead of time. This included a black velvet doublet embroidered with the Targaryen sigil, fine black leather trousers, and a pair of fine black sharkskin boots. A small silver talisman in the shape of the Targaryen sigil hung around my neck. Despite the fine clothes, the septon's droning was so boring I almost fell asleep on 5 different occasions. While awake I muttered prayers in High Valyrian to Vhagar, the Valyrian goddess of war, begging for a meteor to fall from the sky and crush the damn septon where he stood. Unfortunately, neither goddess nor meteorite answered my pleas.  
  
The giving of wedding gifts proved to be far more interesting, as I watched the lords and ladies of the realm present their finest gifts to the crown prince and his bride, Princess Alyssa Velaryon. The gifts that my mother and I prepared were saved for last, but I didn't mind, because watching all the other lords make their presentations was an interesting act in itself. It was also a good opportunity to study these lords, note down their strengths and weaknesses, their quirks and habits. Fortunately, I wasn't the only one doing it. Petyr was also somewhere within the crowd of servants that buzzed around the great hall, bringing refreshments and pouring drinks. At long last, it came my turn to present the gift my mother and I had prepared.  
  
To say that my brother was overjoyed is an understatement and to say that my good sister was surprised should also be considered an understatement. When Aenys was taken outside to see his gift, he simply stood dumb with shock, his mouth wide open in surprise before he wrapped me in a hug that should have crushed my ribs. Alyssa was overjoyed at the sheer opulence of the necklace set, which was as beautiful as it was practical. The rest of the attending lords and ladies exploded into conversation after my gifts to the bride and groom were presented, to which I responded as my mother did; a calm face with only the hint of a smile upon the lips. Afterwards was the wedding feast, and safe to say, it made the feast that Bran experienced in A Clash of Kings look like a light meal. I employed the good old fashion trick of eating only a bit of each dish that came to the high table, so that I was able to taste all of the delicious foods, every dish looking more delicious than the next. The roast duck, pork chops, roasted auroch joints, various seafoods, honeycakes, and berry tarts were among my favorites, though they faced stiff competition from the rest of the seemingly endless streams of dishes that continued appearing on the table. As the dinner feast wore down, I realized what would be coming next; the bedding. It was as they described in the books, a drunk man calling out for the bedding, his voice joined by others. Soon enough, my brother was hoisted into the air by a gaggle of ladies while my goodsister had the same done to her, except it was by a group of lords. They were carried to their rooms as my father and mother sat at the high table with me, watching the procession disappear out the door, the clothes of the bride and groom being discarded on the floor in their wake. Feeling slightly tired, I placed a couple duck legs, a honeyed pork chop, some beans and squash along with a piece of white bread on my plate before excusing myself. Taking my plate of goodies, I walked outside to where Bloodfyre was housed and sat upon the saddle as I ate the foods upon my plate, patting Bloodfyre every now and then. He had already been fed two sheep after his arrival, so he wasn't hungry for anything on my plate. Sitting under the darkening sky, the two of us watched as the stars started to shine and part of me wondered what Jaella was doing right now in warm, sunny Lys. Thinking of her all alone in her room made me sad and pensive, as I patted my dragon's black scaly head.  
  
"Just me and you Bloodfyre. Dragon and rider under the star studded sky. Just you and me." (6)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes:
> 
> 1\. House Veltereon has lots of books on magic and sorcery. Jaella sent some of her extra copies to Maegor.
> 
> 2\. Dragons are multi-purpose flying war machines who need their own callsigns. Balerion is Black leader while Bloodfyre is Black 2.
> 
> 3\. Hey ho, Ironborn. This is as close to a spoiler as y'all are getting.
> 
> 4\. Visenya and Aegon visited the Arbor and hawked with a Lord Redwyne before the Conquest. Kevan is the son of that Lord Redwyne.
> 
> 5\. Alec Oakheart is the younger brother of Alys Oakheart, who was raped and then sold into slavery with her handmaidens by Wyl of Wyl during the Dornish War. His father Lord Jon Oakheart and older brother Alan Oakheart were both killed at that same wedding.
> 
> 6\. Take note of these words;)
> 
> Here is Chapter 8.  
> Chapter 9 is forthcoming.  
> For now, it sits on the corner of my desk.
> 
> Comments and questions are always welcome! This is the fuel that keeps my fingers typing!  
> Feel free to point out any spelling or grammar mistakes.  
> See you all at Chapter 9!  
> -Black Dragon


End file.
